Convicted child rapist pushed mother and boy towards Arthur's Seat cliff edge during walk

A CONVICTED child rapist assaulted a mum and her little boy by threatening to throw them off a cliff at a Scots beauty spot, jurors heard.

Daniel Wilson, 46, seized the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.

The high court in the city heard how the woman was holding her son, who was aged between two and four at the time of the attack.

Jurors heard how Wilson repeatedly pushed the woman and caused her to slip at the cliff edge. He threatened to throw the pair off as she struggled to avoid falling.

The story emerged on Thursday after Wilson, a prisoner of HMP Barlinnie, in Glasgow, was found guilty of two charges of assault.

Jurors returned a guilty verdict to a charge which stated that Wilson repeatedly assaulted the boy at addresses in Edinburgh between April 1994 and April 1998. The assaults took place between the infant being born and his fourth birthday.

Jurors also returned a verdict of guilt to the Arthur’s Seat charge which stated that he placed the mother and son in a “state of fear and alarm” and placed their lives “in danger”. The incident at Arthur’s Seat took place on an occasion between April 1996 and April 1998.

He was acquitted of a charge of raping the little boy at the centre of the Arthur’s Seat assault.

'Repeatedly pushed' towards cliff edge

Following the convictions, prosecution lawyer Margaret Barron told judge Lord Kinclaven that Wilson was currently serving a 15 year term for raping a child under the age of 13 and downloading more than 1,000 images of child pornography.

Lord Kinclaven deferred sentence on Wilson in order to obtain a report about the risk he posed to public safety. Wilson, who spent his trial on remand, was told he would remain in prison.

He added: “I’m going to defer sentence to an adjourned diet. Your custody status will remain the same.”

During proceedings, Ms Barron said that Wilson had subjected the victim to repeated abuse when he was a very young child.

She said that he had assaulted the child and his mother by threatening to throw them off Arthur’s Seat during a walk at the Edinburgh attraction.

Ms Barron said that although the child was very young at the time of the assaults, he still has memories of what took place.

Ms Barron added that the child has also told adults about what happened to him.

She added: “You have a history of a child telling adults about traumatic memories.”

The victim said the assaults done him were carried out in anger.

The court heard that he remembered going out with his mother to Arthur’s Seat and he was in a pram and buggy. Jurors heard how Wilson got angry.

The court heard that the mother also told police about a visit to Arthur’s Seat and the accused repeatedly pushed her whilst carrying her son. She told detectives she was terrified about falling off because she was at the cliff edge.

Following the verdicts being delivered, Ms Barron told Lord Kinclaven that Wilson was serving a sentence for crimes committed during a spell living in Wales.

A jury at Mold Crown Court convicted Wilson in April 2015 on five charges of raping a child under the age of 13.

He was also convicted of making indecent images of children by downloading them from the Internet and possessing 1,500 indecent images.

On that occasion, judge Niclas (CORR) Parry told Wilson that he had been convicted of “the most wicked offences.”

He added: “You are a man who has an obvious interest in the most extremes abuse of particularly young children.”

Wilson was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

On Thursday, defence advocate Drew McKenzie told Lord Kinclaven that he’d reserve his mitigation until the sentence hearing.

Mr McKenzie added: “I will postpone my mitigation until that date.”

Lord Kinclaven also thanked jurors for serving in the case.

Wilson will be sentenced for his offences at the High Court in Glasgow on December 5 2019.