SENTENCING STATEMENTS
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Read more about victims of crime and sentencing.
HMA v Jonathan Hopson
Jun 19, 2026
Upon sentencing, Judge Bain made the following remarks:
"Jonathan Hopson, on 13 May this year, after a five day trial at Inverness High Court, you were found guilty of charges 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9. These were charges of the rape and lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards victim A between 2008 and 2010 when she was between the ages of 7 and 8 and you were between the ages of 28 and 29 and contraventions of sections 19 and 20 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 towards victim B between 2015 and 2017 when she was between the ages of 7 and 8 and you were between the ages of 34 and 36
"Charge 9 was a contravention of section 34 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act towards victim B in 2023 when she was aged 14 and you were aged 42.
"They were young children who trusted you and who were entrusted into your care by your partners - respectively the mother and grandmother of these girls. You breached that trust and, at a time in their young lives when they should have been innocent and care free, you stole that innocence and caused them harm and distress. A harm that will, no doubt have an enduring impact upon them and you caused that harm for your own sexual gratification.
"Submissions of counsel
"I have listened carefully to all that has been said on your behalf by Ms Hunter. She asks me to take into account in particular your background and childhood trauma and the fact that you have until recently been a working man and have lived a pro social life. I also take into account the fact that you have no relevant offending in your past.
"Justice Social Work Report
"I taken account of the terms of the Justice Social Work Report (JSWR) which I ordered. I note your position remains one of denial in relation to the offending, which restricts what your counsel can say about remorse, responsibility or insight into your offending.
"I also take into account the Victim Impact Statement from victim B which confirms the profound and enduring impact your behaviour has had upon her as was apparent from the evidence.
"Sentencing process
"I have to assess the seriousness of your offending by reference to your level of culpability and harm. Regarding culpability, you were a father figure to victim A and you abused that trust and used threats and force to facilitate the offences. Victim B trusted you as the partner of her grandmother and you used your age and position of trust to abuse her when she was on her own or when your partner was asleep, I also note an element of force was used in respect of charge 7. Each child was between the ages of 7 and 8 years and your sexual behaviour towards victim B continued when she was aged 14 years.
"The offences of which you were convicted represent a course of conduct systematically pursued by you, the most serious element of it being the rape of victim A perpetrated by use of force and threats. Your crimes involved an egregious breach of trust. The complainers were related to your partners and should have been safe with you but they were not. That you used force and threats with victim A and force and emotional manipulation with victim B I also find to be significant in my assessment of culpability as high.
"Whilst no Victim Statement was submitted by victim A, it was clear from her evidence the impact that your behaviour has had upon her. Regarding harm, I am therefore satisfied that both victims have sustained psychological harm and trauma.
"The Justice Social Work Report highlights a lack of empathy towards your victims but that is influenced by your maintained denial and I do take account of the trauma suffered in your own childhood.
"You are assessed as having moderate sex offender risk factors and it is said that should you have access to potential victims, the likelihood would be of further offences occurring without engagement on a suitable intervention. It is also said that given your maintained denial you would benefit from some form of programmatic work in custody to address offending behaviours to encourage you to take responsibility for your actions and reduce the risk of re-offending upon your return to the community. It is to your credit that you have indicated that you would engage fully with any supports or interventions the Scottish Prison Service deemed necessary to prepare you for release and a period of post release supervision with Justice Services to support your return to the community.
"In sentencing you today, considerations of punishment, deterrence and public protection are at the forefront of my mind. There is no appropriate alternative to a custodial sentence.
"Having reflected carefully on all of the circumstances, and the insights in the justice social work report, in my judgement the normal period of licence would not be sufficient to protect the public from serious harm from you. Accordingly I consider that the custodial sentence in your case should be by way of an extended sentence. I will therefore impose an extended sentence, comprising a custodial element and a period of post release supervision known as an extension period.
"Dealing first with the custodial part of your sentence, this will be an in cumulo sentence to cover all of the offending for which you are being sentenced. The custodial part is 10 years imprisonment and will be backdated to 13 May when you were first taken into custody.
"The second part, the extension part will be served in the community. From the date of your release, you will be under licence for an extension period of 3 years. The conditions of your licence will be fixed by the Scottish Ministers. If during this extension period you fail to comply with the conditions of your licence it may be revoked and you may be returned to custody for a further period in respect of this case. The court also has the power to deal with you if you commit another offence after your release while you are on licence.
"Had I not imposed an in cumulo sentence as I have, I would have considered each of the offences in chapters relating to each victim and I would have imposed a in cumulo sentence covering each group of charges rather than imposing a separate sentence for each charge.
"In respect of charges 1 and 2, I would have imposed an in cumulo sentence of 9 years.
"In respect of charges 7, 8 and 9 I would have imposed an in cumulo sentence of 4 years.
"I accept that if those sentences were to run consecutively the total period would have been excessive. I have therefore reduced that to arrive at the cumulative sentence which I have imposed.
"The total effect for you Mr Hopson, is an extended sentence of 13 years. That is comprised of a custodial sentence of 10 years and an extension period of 3 years.
"This will be backdated to 13 May 2026.
"As a consequence of this sentence you will remain subject to the notification requirements applicable to sex offenders for an indefinite period. In addition, I will make non harassment orders in relation to each of your victims. The conditions of the orders, which will subsist for an indefinite period, are that you must not approach or contact either of them in person or by electronic or other means either directly or indirectly through any other person.
"That is all."
17 June 2026