Jail term cut for Harhill pervert who had sex with girl (14)

Oct 23 2008 by Our Correspondent, West Lothian Courier

A BUS driver who got a 14-year-old girl pregnant after plying her with drink and drugs has had his original ten year jail sentence slashed.

Michael Deegan, 40, of Harthill, admitted twice having sex with the girl, who was a regular passenger on his bus, at a hearing earlier this year.

Jailing him for ten years and four months the judge Lord Hardie described his crimes as "corruption of a child".

But last week appeal judges ruled the sentence was too excessive and halved it.

In February the court heard that Deegan befriended his victim and her friends on regular bus journeys between Carluke, Motherwell and Airdrie, and allowed them to travel for free.

On the evening of 23 March last year, his victim’s 14th birthday, the girls were the only passengers, so he pulled over for a break, gave the birthday girl a bottle of Buckfast and shared a cannabis joint with them.

After his shift he took the girl home with him to his bedsit, where he had sex with her twice.

The next morning he gave her £5 to top up her mobile phone and dropped her at a bus stop.

Her mother, who had reported her missing, met her when she arrived at school in Bellshill and she was taken to the police station.

The girl, who declined to give a statement to police, later discovered she was pregnant and had a termination.

Lord Clarke, who heard the appeal with Lord Penrose, said they were satisfied that the original sentences imposed "fell outwith the reach of sentencing options".

The appeal judges said a six-year sentence for the sex crime would have been appropriate.

However, it would be reduced to five years and four months to take account of Deegan's guilty plea.

The appeal judges also sentenced him to nine months for cannabis supply.

Deegan , though, will serve that at the same time as the longer jail term as they said it would be inappropriate to make the sentences consecutive.