Solicitor Andrew Lingard convicted of sexually abusing two girls aged 12

Andrew Lingard had denied the historical offences, claiming that he had a condition that makes sufferers unaware of what they do while they are asleep.

He is due to be sentenced at the High Court in Inverness on August 3 after being found guilty of sexually abusing two 12-year-old schoolgirls and raping their sleeping sister, with whom he was in a relationship at the time.

A jury at the High Court in Livingston rejected his defence and convicted Lingard of three serious sexual offences.

Lingard, who broke down in tears as the verdicts were read out, was told by Judge Michael O’Grady that he had betrayed his three victims, saying: “They trusted you.”

Lingard’s offending only came to light after one of his victims started self-harming years later and suffered a “meltdown” at work.

Her boss said that he phoned her older sister, who was told about the sexual abuse. It subsequently emerged that Lingard had abused another of their sisters when she was also aged 12.

The oldest sister said that he had once raped her while she was asleep and continued having sex with her without consent after she woke up.

Lingard was convicted unanimously of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards one of the 12-year-old girls. The jury returned a majority guilty verdict for the same charge towards the second 12-year-old.

Their second majority verdict found him guilty of raping their older sister, now in her thirties, while she was asleep.

Lingard had lodged a special defence claiming the sexual activity with the oldest sister was consensual.

Lingard said he had woken after falling asleep on a bunk bed with one of the schoolgirls to find himself cuddling her with his head on her shoulder and with his arm on her stomach.

He said that he felt shocked and horrified and “didn’t know what had happened”.

He added: “To me, being in bed with a child cuddled in that way with someone who wasn’t my girlfriend was inappropriate by my standards.”

He claimed he was unaware of any allegations that he had “inappropriately touched” the girl or her younger sister at the same age until he got a threatening text message from her then boyfriend years later.

Lingard later sent the older woman a text saying, “God, I deserve all I have coming” and predicted he was going to spend “years and years in jail”. He denied that the message was an admission.

Questioned about his “sexsomnia” defence, Lingard said he had a clear memory of one discussion with a woman in which she had complained about him waking her in a sexual way.

He insisted that he had never had non-consensual sex.

Lingard, who gave an address in Milton Keynes, was remanded in custody for the preparation of background reports.

His name was added to the sex offenders register and Scottish ministers will be advised of his conviction under legislation to protect vulnerable groups.