AN Irvine man has spoken of his relief after being found not guilty of a child sex attack.

Robert McGeachie was last week found not guilty of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy outside the Coach & Horses pub in Dickson Drive last year.

He was cleared by a lack of CCTV evidence with no DNA prints being found on the boy’s clothing.

The Ranken Drive man says his life has been “turned upside down” by the allegation - for which he received death threats from strangers at all hours of the day.

Robert, 44, was charged with sexually assaulting the boy by groping him outside the pub on October 30.

But during his trial at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last Friday, April 29, CCTV evidence showed Robert only walking by the boy drunkenly.

No traces of Robert’s DNA were found on the child’s clothing and he was eventually found not guilty of the sexual assault by presiding Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane.

However, Robert was fined £225 after pleading guilty to shouting and swearing at police officers who arrested him on the same night.

Questions are now being asked of the Crown Office who persisted in bringing the case to court despite a lack of credible evidence - leaving both Robert and the alleged victim in limbo.

Speaking after the sentence, Robert said he wanted to set the record straight and move on with his life.

He said: “I was accused of approaching the boy outside the Coach & Horses and groping him.

“I was drunk and all the camera shows is me staggering by him, I was nowhere near him.

“He completely made it up, I’ve never seen the boy before in my life and I don’t know why he did it.

Irvine Times:

“Thankfully the sheriff saw right through what he was saying and found me not guilty.

“There was no DNA evidence at all, they (the Crown) kept adjourning the case to try and come up with something but my lawyer said it should only take about two weeks for them to come back with anything.

“My life has been turned upside down by this.”

Robert said the charges have had a traumatic effect on not only him but his family.

He added: “I’ve been getting death threats and calls leading up to this, a lot of people shunned me away.

“I was getting calls and texts saying I was a ‘paedo’ and a ‘beast’, people I didn’t even know who somehow got my mobile phone number.

"Some of them were right up until three in the morning.

“Some close friends stuck by me, the neighbours weren’t speaking to me, my kids’s pals don’t come around the house anymore.

“Not once have I had my chance to explain my side of the story.

“I am 100 per cent innocent, this is something I’d never ever think about doing but now the day has come that I’ve finally been found not guilty, it’s a massive relief.”

Robert’s solicitor Colin McLaughlin said: “The Crown knew the case didn’t prove with the evidence they had.

"It wasn’t the depute in court’s decision to press ahead, they’re obliged to run because of policy decisions.

“So we were left in the ridiculous situation where vulnerable witnesses are going to court and think the person is going to get convicted but actually there’s a very small chance of that happening.

“Instead of simply telling them ‘sorry, there’s not enough evidence’, their policy is to run it anyway and leave it to the sheriff to make the decisions.

“Frankly I think that’s to avoid complaints.

“The Crown didn’t have enough evidence and asking the boy to deal with that for about five or six months isn’t right, our view is why not just tell them there’s not enough evidence.”

A spokesperson for the Crown Office said: "On the basis of the full facts and circumstances of the case, including eye witness evidence, criminal proceedings were raised charging the accused with a sexual offence against a minor and threatening and abusive behaviour.

“Following evidence the accused was acquitted in respect of the sexual assault and pled guilty to threatening and abusive behaviour.

“We note the decision of the court.”