Dad who subjected family to 20 year of terror abandons appeal (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Only 15 years in prison for 20 years of  terror against his family...yet Daddy KENNETH BLAIR still thought the sentence was unfair. Seems he wasn't getting much traction with that argument, though, as he has dropped it.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/east-central/285837-father-who-subjected-his-family-to-20-years-ordeal-has-abandoned-appeal/

Father who subjected his family to 20 years ordeal abandons appeal
Kenneth Blair, 66, was appealing his sentence of 15 years but has abandoned the bid.

.07 December 2011 15:47 GMT

A father who subjected his family to a 20 year ordeal of "violence, depravity and fear" has abandoned his attempt to get his 15 year prison sentence cut.

Former firefighter Kenneth Blair, 66, was jailed in September just after it was announced that police were taking another look at the death of his baby son in 1968.

He was expected to appear at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh on Wednesday for his legal team to argue that the sentence imposed by judge Lady Stacey was too severe.

Instead, court officials were told that the appeal against sentence had been abandoned and the case did not call in court.

In September Blair admitted a catalogue of cruelty towards his wife, another son and daughter spanning almost 20 years.

The court heard how the children were punched, kicked and thrashed with a leather belt with a heavy buckle.

After the court heard details of Blair's brutal reign at a number of addresses in Fife between September 1967 and May 1986, defence QC Herbert Kerrigan admitted the conduct was "barbaric."

Lady Stacey told Blair: "You have pled guilty to charges which show that you have subjected your family to violence, depravity and fear."

Blair, who has a record of convictions for sex with underage girls, also admitted rape and attempted rape.

He is also the father of Colin Blair who died in 1968, just six weeks after his birth.

The tragedy was recorded as "unexplained" at the time and the cause of death was put down to inhaling vomit and bleeding inside the baby's skull.

Days before his court appearance, Tayside Police's major crime review team announced that they were looking again at the case, a move which could lead to the baby’s body being exhumed for further tests.

Blair had been accused of assaulting his then wife, Isabella, now 60, when she was pregnant with Colin, but the allegation was dropped.

He pleaded guilty to repeatedly slapping, punching and kicking her, pulling her by the hair, striking her head against a door, hitting her with a belt and pushing her downstairs on other occasions.

Some of the attacks were carried out when she was pregnant with other children.

Blair also admitted a catalogue of assaults on son Scott, 42, and daughter Gillian, 40.

Blair also admitted raping a 12-year-old girl - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - attempting to rape her on another occasion and sexually molesting her.