Rapist and child abuser has prison sentence increased after Crown appeal

Robert McGeachy, 64, was jailed for eight years in June 2024 after being found guilty of 17 charges at the High Court in Glasgow the previous month. 

McGeachy’s campaign of physical and sexual abuse took place at various addresses in the Glasgow area between 1978 and 2003. He sexually abused several young children as well as raping a teenager and a woman.

The Crown asked the court to consider imposing a longer custodial term due to the serious nature of the offences.

The Appeal Court upheld the Crown appeal. The original sentence has been quashed and replaced with a 12-year custodial term.

Kenny Donnelly, deputy crown agent, said: “COPFS is committed to improving the criminal justice journey for victims, from the stage of reporting all the way through to sentencing.

“Prosecutors have a responsibility in legislation to consider appeals based upon undue leniency in sentencing. Such appeals are rare but important to ensure the public interest is properly served.

“They allow the court to review sentences that the Crown believe fall outside the range of punishment reasonably considered appropriate. COPFS believes that it is important that the harm caused by sexual offending, and the culpability of the convicted person, must be consistently reflected in sentencing decisions.”