Paul Harthill, an Edinburgh resident and child abuser, who perpetrated a “devastating” series of abusive actions against two children—one of which involved administering medicines without their consent—has been permanently prohibited from contacting them.
Paul Harthill intentionally mistreated and neglected both children in a manner likely to inflict needless hardship or harm to their health during an 18-month duration.
Paul Harthill, 47, reportedly over-dispensed prescription medication to a youngster and, on one occasion, issued a death threat against them.
He subjected the youngster to substance abuse, forced them to reside in unhygienic conditions, and neglected to provide sufficient nourishment.
Paul Harthill, from the Craigleith neighbourhood of the Capital, also coerced the youngster into consuming controlled substances, neglected to escort them to school, and left them unsupervised for extended durations when he was responsible for their care.
The child abuse occurred between April 2017 and November 2018 at two residences in Musselburgh and Prestonpans, East Lothian.
The chronic substance abuser exhibited comparable abusive conduct towards a second child from December 2017 to November 2018.
Court documents indicate that Harthill inflicted undue hardship or health injury onto the second kid by subjecting them to drug abuse and unclean living conditions.
He also failed to provide adequate food for the child and left the child unattended for long periods of time. He also carried out brutal assaults on the second victim by slapping them to the head, punching and kicking them on the body and repeatedly threatening to strike them with a belt.
Paul Harthill, an unemployed kitchen worker, pleaded guilty to four offences when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and he returned to the dock for sentencing on Thursday.
Lawyer Michael Elliot, defending, said his client was “exceedingly embarrassed and ashamed” and had been using heroin at the time of the offending but had since kicked the habit. Mr Elliot said: “He is showing contrition and a level of insight.”
Sheriff Julius Komorowski was handed victim impact statements from the victims that stated Harthill’s actions had a “significant and long lasting effects on the children”.
The sheriff said if Harthill had been found guilty after trial he would imposed a jail term but due to his guilty plea the matter could be dealt with by a “deliberately severe and onerous” community-based disposal.
The sheriff said: “You pled guilty to repeated assaults on [two boys]. The effects on them at the time are said to be devastating and the statements from them have confirmed this.
“Given the severity of the crime and the harm you have inflicted it [the community payback order] will be in the most severe terms permitted by the law.”
Paul Harthill will have to wear an electronic tagging device on his ankle and stay within his home address between 7pm and 7am for the next 12 months. He will have to carry out the maximum of 300 hours of unpaid work and was placed on a social work supervision order for 20 months.
Sheriff Komorowski also issued an £1800 compensation order and non-harassment orders which will last for an indefinite period. Harthill covered his face with a scarf as he left the court building.
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