CONVICTED (2023) | Malcolm J Leask, born 17 September 1987, from Stromness, Orkney Islands – committed a decade-long campaign of violence and cruelty towards animals, women and children.
Malcolm Leask, originally from Orkney but with links to Alva in Clackmannanshire, Stirling and Hartlepool, was convicted of three offences of animal cruelty alongside six assault offences, six of rape, one of attempted murder, two of threatening or abusive behaviour and one breach of the peace.
The crimes were committed at addresses in Orkney and Clackmannanshire between 2008 and 2019.
The former butcher and amateur musician subjected a family Labrador to repeated brutality, punching and kicking the animal on her head and body, kneeling on her stomach, deliberately blowing smoke in her face, putting his hands round her throat and choking her.
He kicked a border collie in the head and side, breaking one of his ribs. He also put a black bin bag over the dog’s head and tried to suffocate him.
Another time he picked the “scared and yelping” collie up by his armpits and threw him onto the floor, leaving him with permanent damage to his back legs.
He also attacked an eight-month-old German Shepherd puppy, punching him on the head and ribs and “stamping” on his head.
The dog’s owner said she once came in to find Leask “strangling” him.
Leask told her the pup “had been bad and needed to be punished”.
An allegation that he had battered two terrapins to death with a hammer was withdrawn by the prosecution.
Leask, nicknamed Beefy, because he previously weighed 31 stone, raped two women and tried to murder one of the victims by holding her head under water. He used his enormous weight to pin down one of his rape victims.
One woman told the court that she was repeatedly raped by Leask and subjected to physical violence when he punched, kneed and choked her.
He also lifted her toddler daughter and threw her on to a chair.
A second woman said she was subjected to “pure nastiness” by Leask.
He had shouted and swore at her young daughter and chased and grabbed her son.
Leask, now married, denied 19 charges but was convicted following a trial.
Defence counsel Gordon Jackson KC said Leask had no previous convictions and suffered traumatic experiences earlier in his life.
Sentencing Leask, Judge Lord Scott told him that his offences show “a serious, violent and abusive course of conduct.” The judge also remarked that he was “unrepentant” and lacking in insight into the considerable damage he caused.
Sentencing | 12 years’ imprisonment with eight years of supervision following his release. Placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
