Burns scholar who hosted children's poetry competitions jailed for sexually abusing boys

A writer who ran an organisation which hosted children’s poetry competitions has been jailed for sexually abusing young boys.

Mark Sherland abused three victims at his former home in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

The abuse took place while Sherland, now of Erskine, worked at the Cherrie Centre, a community and youth complex in Renfrew.

He has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life after luring the boys back to his home and abusing them in his bedroom.

Sheriff Gillian Craig slammed him for an “egregious breach of trust” as she imposed an eight-year sentence at Paisley Sheriff Court.

She jailed him for five years and imposed an extension period of three years, which will see him monitored in the community once released.

She also imposed a 30-year-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which bans him from having communication or contact with any child under the age of 18 unless the child is supervised by an adult aged 21 or over.

Sheriff Craig said: “You robbed the complainers of their childhoods and their adult lives”

In 2024, it emerged that Sherland had changed his name from Douglas Stuart Hammond after being convicted of earlier child sex abuse.

He then lied his way to becoming President of the Robert Burns World Federation, where he had direct access to school children.

He was convicted of abusing three more young boys in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He had denied his guilt, forcing his victims to give evidence against him, and claiming that he had actually touched them inadvertently while “dummy fighting” with them.

One victim, now 50, told the court that he has suffered from a recurring nightmare for the last 38 years following the abuse.

Sherland was known to the boys as Douglas Stuart Hammond at the time of the offences, but the court heard he had since changed his name.

He abused the youngsters between 1988 and 1990 at his flat in Paisley.

The victim said: “I have really bad nightmares, crying in my sleep, waking up screaming.

“I thought the guy was alright. He was a kind, fun guy.

“It’s a very heavy thing for me to carry. I hid it from my mum when she was alive.”

On Friday afternoon, the jury of four men and 11 women found Sherland unanimously guilty of the three charges he faced.

The 70-year-old indecently assaulted one boy between 1988 and 1989, when the youngster was aged 13 and 14.

The second boy was targeted in 1988 and 1989, when he was 14 and 15.

The third boy was abused in 1990, when he was 16.

He was convicted in his absence following a trial, with his lawyer saying he had been admitted to hospital.

Sherland was named Mark on court papers, but spelt Marc in documents lodged with Companies House over his role as President of the Robert Burns World Federation.

In 1991, Sherland was convicted of indecently assaulting two young boys, aged eight and ten, when he worked as an educational community worker at Strathclyde Regional Council.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard during that trial that as many as 200 children had visited his home, and he changed his name after he was convicted.

Anne Marie Hicks, procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde, said: “Mark Sherland abused his position as a youth worker to sexually abuse vulnerable children.

“This was a sustained pattern of offending against three boys. He exploited the trust placed in him by the victims, using his role and familiarity with them to commit these offences

“I would like to acknowledge the courage shown by the victims in coming forward and giving evidence. Their willingness to speak about what Sherland did to them was instrumental in securing this conviction.

“We hope this prosecution gives confidence to others affected by child sexual abuse that they will be listened to, treated with dignity and supported through the criminal justice process, regardless of when the offences occurred.”

‘It has moulded everything about me’

One survivor, who was abused by Sherland, said: “What happened to me is something I’ve been forced to live with, and battle with, my whole life.

“It has moulded everything about me from my attitude, personality and the way I’m able to interact with people and the world around me.

“This came with a mental toll that often showed itself through behaviours that negatively impacted my loved ones so I can’t thank them enough for their patience, support and understanding – and if they didn’t fully understand at the time because I never had the right words at that moment, then I hope they do now.

“For so long my coping mechanism was to try and downplay the effects but the weight and struggle was always there and it’s only now he’s convicted that I can feel that weight start to lift.

“I am really glad the jury convicted him.

“In fact, they convicted him quickly, so that offers me more assurance of knowing just how wrong all this was.

“Being a repeat offender, he clearly has no remorse and there is a very real, very strong need to protect others from him.

“I have no doubt that there will be others out there who are yet to get their own conviction and recognition so I would really encourage people to speak to the police as you deserve justice.”

Catherine Hammond, partner at Digby Brown, is helping survivors with historic abuse claims in relation to abuse carried out by Sherland.

She added: “The sentencing is a significant milestone for our client, and he deserves enormous credit for having the courage to report what happened to him and help bring Sherland to justice.

“The public is entitled to know how an individual with Sherland’s history was able to secure positions that may have brought him into contact with children.

“We are now investigating Sherland’s history and whether there were systemic failures that may have allowed other instances of abuse to continue after his convictions.

“I would strongly encourage anyone affected to come forward and speak to the police as every survivor deserves the opportunity to have their voice heard.”