Norman Harvey

A former police officer has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for historical sexual offences against two children, committed while he was on duty with Grampian Police. Norman Harvey, aged 73, was convicted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court following a three-day trial where a jury found him guilty by majority of three charges involving lewd, indecent, and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the victims in the 1970s and 1980s.

The court heard that Harvey exploited his authority as a sergeant in the accident investigation unit to carry out the abuse. One victim, a girl aged between 12 and 15 at the time, was sexually touched by Harvey over her clothing at an address in Aberdeen. He also attempted to touch her breasts over her clothing while she was still under 16. The second victim was just 8 or 9 years old when Harvey, on duty in a marked police vehicle in or near Aberdeen, touched her private parts. Sheriff Ian Wallace described the charges as 'particularly serious', stating: 'It was clear you used your position as a police officer to carry out the abuse and ensure the silence of your victim.'

Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson informed the court that Harvey is already serving a three-year prison sentence for similar offences in England. Originally from Sunderland, Harvey joined Grampian Police in 1978 after six years with Northumbria Constabulary, serving for three decades and even participating in the force's fundraising committee, The Diced Cap Appeal. Defence counsel David Moggach acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes, noting that Harvey's role as a police officer at the time aggravated the offences, though he suggested they might have been prosecutable at a lower level. Mr Moggach added: 'I don’t think there’s much more I can say by way of mitigation.'

Sheriff Wallace concurred that a custodial sentence was the only appropriate disposal, ordering 18 months imprisonment consecutive to Harvey's existing term. Harvey was also made subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. As he was led from court handcuffed to a security guard, the convicted sex offender attempted to hide his face from media cameras under a jacket. The case was investigated by the national child abuse investigation unit, highlighting the ongoing commitment to prosecuting such crimes regardless of the time elapsed.