Man, 77, charged with lewd behaviour towards girls

AN ELDERLY man has appeared in court charged with lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards two underage girls.

William Tarrel, 77, pleaded not guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday to two charges against the two girls over a five-year period.

He is accused of touching one child over her clothing on two occasions between November 2001 and November 2006 when she was aged between four and nine years old.

He is also charged with stripping the other girl and touching her between May 2003 and November 2006 when she was aged between seven and ten.

Tarrel's defence agent, Matthew Auchincloss, told the court that his client had a "horrendous" infection, the treatment for which gave him fits of temporary delusion and asked that the trial be postponed.

Sheriff Derrick MacIntyre agreed and Tarrel will go on trial in December after undergoing medical assessment.