Victim of rapist lawyer who claimed he had 'sexsomnia' calls for long jail term

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A traumatised victim of a rapist and child abuser who claimed he had “sexsomnia” when he molested them said she hopes he is put away for a “long time”.Vile lawyer Andrew Lingard will learn his fate next week after being convicted earlier this year of sexually abusing two schoolgirls and raping a woman.Lingard, from West Lothian, failed to get damning evidence thrown out of court before his case was heard.He told the High Court in Livingston the historic sex offences were committed while he was suffering from a “sleep sex” disorder.One of his victims, who we are not naming, said: “I was pleased that the evidence presented in court was enough for the jury to reach the only plausible verdict, guilty.“Due to the nature of the case, and then with Covid thrown into the mix, this has been a rollercoaster of an ordeal for the victims over the course of many years and it has taken its toll on all concerned.”Lingard’s offending came to light after one of his young victims started ­self-harming years later and suffered a mental ­“meltdown” at horse stables where she was helping out.The boss of the stables gave evidence that he phoned her older sister, who was told about the sexual abuse.It then emerged Lingard had abused another child when she was also 12.Another woman revealed he raped her while she was asleep and continued having sex with her without her consent after she wakened.The victim added: “While no sentence can ever fix the damage caused or the long-term effects, I would hope that a fair and just custodial sentence totalling to years in the first instance can be imposed.”Lingard is currently being held on remand in prison. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter h