Man jailed for policeman sex con

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A retired car mechanic who posed as a secret policeman to dupe a Portuguese woman into giving him sexual favours has been jailed for two years.

John Irvine, 63, from Coldstream in the Borders, earlier admitted the offences, which took place between 1 March and 29 May 2005.

He produced e-mails in her native language warning that her family would die if she did not comply.

The judge ordered he must be supervised for 12 months after his release.

Sentencing Irvine at the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Clarke said it was a "sustained and cruel campaign of fear and intimidation" against his victim.

Irvine's victim was described by the judge as a "highly vulnerable" woman.

'Secret place'

The court had earlier heard Irvine told the Portuguese woman, who spoke very little English, a letter had been sent to him addressed to the "Number One Secret Government Police".

He regularly handed her e-mails - purporting to be from the secret services or the government - saying if she did not do what they said, her family and friends would be killed.

The correspondence also claimed her benefits would be stopped and if she tried to leave Scotland, the plane or train she was on would be blown up.

The instructions steadily became more extreme and explicit.

Irvine would then drive his victim to Oxenrig Farm, near Coldstream, which he called the "secret place", where he made the woman sit on his lap, touched her, and performed sex acts on her.

The court heard the terrified woman, who knew nothing of computers, was convinced the e-mails were real - and did not believe friends who told her they were sent by Irvine.

She eventually took 21 of the notes to the police - and was distraught when the truth came out.