Convicted paedophile Ian Mackie fronts court over new historic child abuse charges from 1979
A former Sandringham woodwork teacher and army cadet captain has finally had his day court, 44 years after the brazen repeated sexual assault of a student.
South East
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An elderly man who was once a woodwork teacher and an army cadet officer has been thrown in jail after being convicted for brazen repeated sexual assault on a student 44 years ago.
Ian Mackie, 84, was told he should “hang his head in shame” after pleading guilty to the historical offending at the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court and was slapped with an 18-month jail sentence.
The court heard Mackie, of Dingley Village, was a woodwork teacher and an army cadet program captain at Sandringham Technical College in 1979 where three of the four assaults occurred.
The court heard Mackie cornered his then 15-year-old victim in a woodwork classroom on three occasions, where he assaulted the student in skin-to-skin contact, touching the student’s genitalia.
The three assaults all lasted between five and 10 minutes, the court was told.
The court heard the student had alerted the principal of the school at the time, but no action was taken to prevent Mackie from having contact with the victim.
The principal has since passed away.
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani said she was “horrified” the person in authority “would think to do nothing”.
“No doubt this victim felt cornered. They endured incredibly brazen offending, in daylight hours and during school.”
On the fourth and final occasion, the court heard Mackie had attended a camp in Puckapunyal with students in the army cadet program, where he again assaulted the victim.
The court heard Mackie was wearing his captain’s uniform when he cornered the student in the shower block, where he again sexually assaulted the student.
The court heard the assault lasted between 10 and 15 minutes.
Ms Bazzani said the victim was “brave” and “blameless.”
“As a child enrolled, they ought to have been safe with the people teaching them,” she said.
“Instead they were molested. The victim has shown incredible bravery and courage to have reported this to the principal.”
“The victim in this matter is absolutely blameless.”
The court heard Mackie had already served a 13-month prison sentence for similar offences against three other child victims committed in 1977 and 1978.
Ms Bazzani called the offences “cruel.”
“These offences are cruel and borderline narcissistic, they were for your own gratification,” she said.
“Children are the most vulnerable people in our community, we as adults have a responsibility to protect them. You failed”
Ms Bazzani denied Mackie’s requests for “mercy” in relation to prison considerations.
“You’ve had 44 years of unbridled freedom. Your victims have not,” she said.
“You ask for mercy because you’re elderly and frail. You should hang your head in shame.”
gemma.scerri@news.com.au
