Dad jailed for 15 years for torturing wife, two children (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Dad KENNETH BLAIR committed nothing short of torture against his family. He is also suspected of murdering an infant son. Too bad it took the justice system so long to catch up with this monster.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/09/17/barbaric-dad-who-terrorised-wife-and-kids-caged-for-20-years-of-cruelty-86908-23426748/

'Barbaric' dad who terrorised wife and kids caged for 20 years of cruelty
Sep 17 2011
Brian Horne

THE father of a baby at the centre of a murder probe has been jailed for 15 years after savagely battering and humiliating his wife and two of his children.

Former fireman Kenneth Blair, 66, brutalised his family in a catalogue of cruelty spanning almost 20 years.

His own counsel called it "barbaric".

Blair pled guilty to the abuse, and admitted raping and trying to rape a child.

Police have begun a new inquiry over his son Colin, who died in infancy in 1968.

Blair was caged yesterday for terrorising wife Isabella, now 60, son Scott, now 42, and daughter Gillian, now 40, at addresses in Fife between 1967 and 1986.

He laughed as he beat his wife, who screamed and asked: "Why? Why? Why?"

Blair slapped, punched and kicked Isabella, pulled her hair, hit her head against a door, struck her with a belt and hurled her down stairs.

He attacked her when she was pregnant with Scott and Gillian. A charge that he hit her while she was carrying Colin was dropped.

Scott and Gillian were punched, kicked and thrashed with a leather belt with a heavy buckle.

Andrew Stewart QC, prosecuting, told the High Court in Edinburgh there were "numerous occasions" when Blair punched and kicked Scott so hard in the stomach and genitals that he vomited.

Blair stopped the children using the toilet at night, then beat them for being "smelly" after they wet themselves.

He enjoyed a "game" where he asked his family questions and slapped anyone who gave a wrong answer. He also made his victims watch films he chose and slapped them if they fell asleep.

Blair dragged Gillian around by the hair and once forced her towards a coal fire and threatened to push her in.

Another time, when the family were moving house on foot, Gillian dropped and lost some of their belongings.

Mr Stewart said: "Blair shouted at Gillian and took off his belt. He then hit Gillian to the back and bottom with the buckle, leaving imprints on Gillian's skin."

Scott and Gillian had one happy week in their young lives - when Isabella tried to leave Blair and took them to Stirling. But he begged his wife in a letter to come home, and she agreed.

Eventually, Blair left the family for a new partner in England. But Mr Stewart said he left behind "victims living in fear - their lives destroyed by the appalling treatment he had inflicted on them".

Blair was finally brought to justice after one of his victims found the courage last year to go to police. Officers launched a year-long investigation which put him in the dock.

As well as the assaults on his family, Blair admitted raping, attempting to rape and molesting a girl of 12 who cannot be named. He has a record for underage sex.

Herbert Kerrigan QC, for Blair, told the court his client's conduct "can only be regarded by any right-thinking person as barbaric".

He added: "The accused has instructed me to apologise to his victims. I can appreciate that will be very difficult for the victims to accept."

Judge Lady Stacey told Blair no sentence could make up for the damage he had caused his family.

Scott and Gillian were in court. There were shouts of "Yes!" as he was jailed.

Blair looked at the floor of the dock and occasionally shook his head. His sentence was reduced by 25 per cent because he pled guilty.

Baby Colin was six weeks old when he died. The cause was given as inhaling vomit and bleeding in the skull and the tragedy was treated as "unexplained".

Tayside Police's major crime review team announced this week that they were reopening the case.

Colin's body may now be exhumed for further tests as officers try to establish whether foul play was involved in his death.