Brendan McCormack

Brendan McCormack, a 27-year-old man from Fife, Scotland, was sentenced to two years in prison for breaching the terms of his five-year sexual harm prevention order. The order, imposed by Dunfermline Sheriff Court on 13 September 2023, prohibited him from having contact with girls under the age of 16 unless it was incidental or unavoidable. McCormack, who had been released from HMP Kilmarnock on 31 July 2024, was classified as a high-risk sex offender and managed by a detective from the sex offender policing unit, which conducted unannounced monthly home visits.

Shortly after his release, McCormack befriended a woman and began visiting her home, where he regularly spent time with her daughters, who were under 16, and their visiting friends. Between 31 July and 3 September 2024, he repeatedly placed himself in the company of numerous female children under 16 at an address in Fife and elsewhere, in direct violation of his court order. On one evening during this period, McCormack was left alone with a 14-year-old friend of the woman's daughters. He instructed the girl, "Pull your jammie shorts down." The child said nothing and left the room, but McCormack made no attempt to remove himself from the situation or inform the woman about his sexual offending history and court restrictions.

The breach came to light only after a protest organised by a vigilante group outside McCormack's home on 2 September 2024. Aware of the impending demonstration, McCormack contacted his managing detective and relocated to his father's address elsewhere in Fife. However, the protest followed him there, prompting police intervention that removed him from the property. This incident alerted the detective to McCormack's illicit activities with underage girls. The woman, upon learning of McCormack's prior sexual offending convictions and breaches of court orders, immediately ceased all contact with him.

McCormack appeared via videolink from prison at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to the breaches. Prosecutor Sarah Smith detailed the sequence of events to the court, emphasising McCormack's persistence in offending over the specified period. Defence lawyer Lucy Martin stated that her client was "ashamed" of his behaviour and "deeply regrets it," noting his struggles with anxiety and depression. She mentioned that McCormack had not received adequate community support post-release but had since engaged with a GP and psychiatrist while on remand at HMP Perth.

Sheriff Steven Borthwick highlighted McCormack's continued offending from 31 July to 3 September 2024, despite his high-risk status. He imposed a two-year custodial sentence, backdated to 8 September 2024, when McCormack was first remanded in custody. The case was reported by The Courier, underscoring ongoing concerns about the monitoring of sex offenders in the community.