A mother has hit out at a “predator” driving instructor after he dodged jail for sexually assaulting her 17-year-old daughter during lessons.
Findlay Munro preyed on young women learning to drive in Edinburgh, touching them and making inappropriate comments.
The 62-year-old appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Tuesday after previously admitting targeting four victims.
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Munro was given two years supervision and put on the sex offenders register for that period.
But the mum of one victim said she was “disappointed” by the punishment.
She said: “I think he deserved time in prison for the impact he’s had on people’s lives. It shows why victims of sexual assault often don’t report it.
“He’s a predator and an arrogant man who didn’t admit he was at fault for what he did. I’m sure there are other victims out there.
“My daughter still feels anxious when she sees a driving instructor car. She’s still worried about bumping into him on the street. That will never go away.”
Sheriff Adrian Fraser told Munro the charges were “serious” and involved a “breach of trust” towards his pupils, reports the Record.
But he took into account Munro’s “health difficulties” and a report by social workers on how to “address the offending” outside prison.
Sheriff Fraser said he was satisfied there was an “alternative to custody”.
The mother previously told the Record how she paid for her daughter to receive weekly two-hour lessons from Munro.
She said: “She came back after the first lesson and told me Munro called all his pupils his ‘girlfriends’.
“Every week Munro made comments about her appearance, saying she was beautiful, sexy and asking why she didn’t have a boyfriend.
“One time she made a driving mistake and he patted her leg then it went further into her leg. She froze and didn’t know what to do.
“Another time he took her mask off and told her she was beautiful and stroked her hair.
“She had about 30 lessons and said something happened every time.
“She wore jogging bottoms and jumpers to lessons, even in hot weather, because she didn’t want to show any skin.”
Munro pled guilty to sexually assaulting the teen on various occasions between December 2020 and August last year by touching her on the head and rubbing her thigh.
Munro, of the city’s Baberton area, admitted making comments about another pupil’s appearance and referring to her in inappropriate terms between September 2017 and October 2019.
He also pled guilty to making comments about a third victim’s appearance and personal relationships on various occasions between August 2020 and August last year.
Munro admitted sexually assaulting a fourth victim on various occasions between February and June last year by touching her on the hand, legs and bottom.
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