A former dog trainer convicted of raping and assaulting women over a period of 35 years has had his sentencing delayed after experts disagreed about the level of risk he poses to the public.
Ian Hendry, 54, subjected his victims to “sustained” physical and sexual abuse in Fife and Perthshire between 1987 and 2022.
He raped them on multiple occasions, and carried out physical assaults that included repeatedly punching them, seizing them, hitting them with household items, and compressing their airways.
He also shouted and swore at his victims, made offensive and derogatory remarks to them, and made threats with a knife and a pistol.
The former canine trainer also abused a number of dogs in his care, including punching and kicking them, dragging them by the collars, and restricting their breathing.
At the High Court in Edinburgh last October, Hendry was convicted of of multiple counts of sexual and physical abuse, and of abusing animals in his care.
During a hearing at the same court on Tuesday, Hendry’s lawyer, Jonathan Campbell, requested a delay to his client’s sentencing.
He told the court the defence was “objecting to the risk assessment report” on his client, which had been prepared by the crown’s psychiatrist, Dr Fiona Munro.
A risk assessment report provides an assessment of whether an offender poses a low, medium or high risk to the public, and is used by a judge when deciding what sentence to impose.
Mr Campbell suggested the “next stage of the process” would be for the court to fix an additional “proof” hearing, in which it would hear evidence from both Dr Munro and the defence’s psychiatrist, Dr John Marshall.
Judge Lord Stuart said the process could be “streamlined” by having both medical experts prepare a joint minute of issues they agree on, to enable the court to focus on just those points where they disagree.
He gave the defence seven days to decide whether they accept this approach, and fixed a further continued adjourned diet hearing for May 25.
Hendry, who appeared via videolink from prison dressed in a blue sweater, did not speak throughout the hearing.
Following Hendry’s conviction last year, Detective Constable Dan Cogan said: “Hendry’s offending spanned decades and he subjected women to sustained periods of physical and sexual abuse which continued over a number of years.
“Our thoughts remain with the victims who have had to endure the process of the trial and I thank them for their assistance with our investigations. I hope the verdict today brings them some sense of closure.
“Physical and sexual abuse will not be tolerated and time is no barrier to reporting a crime. I’d urge anyone who is experiencing abuse to report this to us so that we can fully investigate.”
