A CALLOUS pensioner who inflicted a catalogue of cruelty on children at Quarrier’s Village in the 1960s and 70s has been spared prison by a Greenock sheriff.
Lawman James Varney handed 76-year-old Euphemia Ramsay an unpaid work order instead of sending her to jail for her 'appalling' crimes.
The Telegraph can reveal today that the guilty verdict against her reached by a jury last month is the SECOND time that Ramsay has been convicted if ill-treating youngsters.
She had meted out repeated beatings to children with a wooden shoe at Quarrier's between December 1968 and February 1972, a court case in 2006 had found.
In the latest prosecution against the OAP, Greenock Sheriff Court heard how Ramsay targeted primary school-aged children on several occasions between September 1969 and April 1973.
She repeatedly punched and kicked one victim on his head, struck him with a slipper and spat in his face, as well as forcing him to bathe in cold water and sleep on a concrete floor in an outhouse.
On occasions when the child – aged between five and six at the time - had wet the bed, she forced him to remove his nightwear and stand naked in front of other residents.
Ramsay, known to the victims as ‘Auntie Effie’, seized another child by the body and forced her on to a table before instructing another person to force feed her.
She also struck the second child, who was aged between eight and 10, with a shoe to her injury.
READ MORE: Pensioner convicted of child abuse at Quarrier's Village
Sentencing had previously been deferred by Sheriff Varney to allow for the preparation of reports.
Her defence solicitor said Ramsay ‘continues to deny any involvement’ but ‘does accept the verdict of the jury’.
The court also heard that she has lived ‘a faultless life’ since the offences were committed.
Addressing the potential for a non-custodial sentence, the lawyer said: “I see no obvious bar to her being able to carry out these [unpaid work] duties.
“She lives independently in a large house and has no difficulties in respect of that.
“She accepts the verdict of the jury and would accept and carry out anything with a view to avoiding her incarceration.
“She feels herself she would be able to contribute significantly.”
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Sheriff Varney described the pre-sentencing background report presented to the court as ‘appalling’ and said Ramsay’s attempts to blame other people were a ‘disgrace’.
He told her she had shown no remorse or empathy, and that she failed to provide ‘protection, guidance, safety and wellbeing’ for the children placed in her care.
Sheriff Varney added: “These two children were placed in your care and you abused your position of trust.
“It’s only through their courage and strength that they came forward and spoke out after living a life of shame and trauma.
“I hope the victims in this case take comfort from the fact that the jury believed them and not you.”
Ramsay, who now resides in the Isle of Man, was ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work within 18 months.
She will also be subject to curfew for a period of 12 months, whereby she must be within her home address between 7pm and 7am, and will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Ramsay’s progress is due to be assessed at a review hearing at Greenock Sheriff Court on December 13.
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