'Dangerous and controlling' man jailed for sex crimes in Highland and Moray
Last updated 4th Apr 2023
A man's been sentenced after he was found guilty of a series of sexual offences against women in the North of Scotland over a 12-year-period.
Francis Sanderson has been jailed for 15 years, with a further five years extended sentence for the crimes in the Inverness area, Moray and Easter Ross.
The 29-year-old was given his punishment today for the catalogue of crimes committed against six women.
Sanderson 'perpetrated a torrent of domestic abuse' throughout adulthood - Police Scotland
Reacting to the sentencing, Police Scotland's Detective Inspector Gordon Patullo outlined how he hoped the sentencing would send out a clear message on how crimes like this will be dealt with.
He said: "Francis Sanderson perpetrated domestic abuse offences for many years and has today been held accountable for his conduct.
"Sanderson’s offending is marked by a sustained campaign of physical and sexual abuse against a number of women.
"He has shown himself to be a controlling and dangerous individual who perpetrated a torrent of domestic abuse throughout his adult life.
"With this sentence, Sanderson will face the consequence of his actions for years to come.
"His conviction is welcomed and sends out a clear message that domestic abuse crimes not be tolerated in a modern Scotland and will be robustly investigated by Police Scotland.
"I would like to acknowledge the victims in this case and I hope that today's sentencing provides them with some closure which will allow them to move on with their lives.
"We would take this opportunity to reach out to anyone who is experiencing or has experienced domestic abuse; it is never too late to report to the police or seek support and advice from one of our partner agencies such as Women's Aid."