Bellshill man who insisted girls had made up child abuse accusations has been jailed for 32 months

Judge gavel, scales of justice and law books in court

Henry Good, 64, was locked up despite a plea from his lawyer that he now lives in a sheltered housing complex and the risk of him re-offending is low.

Good, of Leeds, was found guilty of committing the offences at his then home in Bellshill between 2005 and 2009. One of the victims was aged between six and seven while the second girl was aged 14 to 16.

Good, who was known to friends as Big Mo, denied the charges, but was convicted after trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court earlier this year. During the trial he was asked by prosecutor Neil Thomson if the girls who gave evidence against him were lying.

Good replied: "They must be because it didn't happen."

Mr Thomson said there were "striking similarities" in the girls' stories, yet they had never met each other. He dismissed the idea that they had somehow "concocted" a story and told Good they had "no reason to lie".

The prosecutor added: "You have every reason to lie because, if convicted, you face serious consequences.

Defence solicitor Tracy Paterson said her client has no similar previous convictions and social workers have placed him at "low risk" of re-offending.

She added: "He has suffered mental health complications and a stroke, but has built himself a small, but reliable, support network that seems to be keeping him on an even keel. He is living in a specialist complex for elderly people and not in a general neighbourhood, so that further minimises the risk. He would be under the close supervision of the authorities who would keep him away from further offending."

However, Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen said prison was the only appropriate sentence.

He told Good: "The jury found you guilty of serious charges of sexual abuse against children. You've shown no remorse and went to trial, meaning those witnesses had to give evidence.

"You've had the opportunity after conviction on the basis of compelling evidence to own up and face up to your responsibilities, but you declined to do that."