A WOMAN has been jailed for three years for sickening historic sexual and physical abuse of a young boy and girl in Ardrossan.

Susan Abbott, 47, was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely for her "abhorrent" abuse of both youngsters over a 14-year period.

The abuse began when they were so young and so often that the girl – who now suffers flashbacks and nightmares – thought it was normal.

The court previously heard Abbott would down Buckfast and vodka when she was looking after them.

However, Abbott denied she’d done anything wrong, forcing the victims of the abuse to give evidence against her, before a jury unanimously convicted her of three sexual assault charges and two of assault in October.

When she returned to court today [Wednesday, December 8], Abbott's defence solicitor Peter Lockhart said: "This is a difficult case for all concerned – it is the first type of this nature I have dealt with in a long career.

"She has a limited intellect, though not learning disabled. She has a problem with alcohol and is vulnerable to exploitation.

"Due to the unusual nature it is difficult to determine if there are any alternatives to custody.

"Given the vulnerability, any custody, for whatever period, will have a dramatic effect on her life.

"I appreciate there can be no discount as the matter was taken to trial - there is no escaping that.

"Whether she is likely to reoffend in a similar manner is debatable and unlikely."

Telling a weeping Abbott to remain seated in the dock, Sheriff David Hall called her conduct "serious" and "abhorrent" and said the offences aggravated by her "gross breach of trust'.

He said: "The abuse over 14 years involved a level of planning by you. The acts degraded the victims who showed bravery throughout the trial.

"You continue to deny the offences, as you are entitled to do. I've considered carefully the pre-trial report by Dr Campbell.

"Only a custodial sentence will mark the seriousness of the offences."

Sheriff Hall sentenced Abbott to three years in prison in total for five charges on the Crown's indictment – and admonished her on a charge of breaching a court order.

He added: "You will be subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for an indefinite period."

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court previously heard it took the children so long to go to police because they felt shame and embarrassment at what had happened to them.

The children told how they would wake up to find Abbott, who more recently lived in Dalmellington, in bed beside them.

The abuse began when Abbott was 28 and was looking after the children, who can’t be identified for legal reasons.

The abuse came to an end in 2016.

She made the boy watch pornography and tried to force him to have sex with her when he was aged just five – but the boy was so young he was physically unable.

She then forced him to take part in sexual activity.

The abuse stopped when he turned seven.

Abbott began abusing the girl when she was six.

The girl told the court she would wake up to find Abbott lying on top of her.

The abuse lasted until she was 11 or 12.

She also beat the children, repeatedly punching and slapping them on the head and body.

Giving evidence, the girl said: "I wasn't too sure about the sexual abuse and then when I realised what was actually happening I didn't know how to tell anyone.

"As it started at such a young age I didn't really understand what it was.

"I thought it was normal at that point in time, but the older I got I started to realised it wasn’t normal.

"I felt ashamed."

The procurator fiscal said: "She abused her position of trust over the children for her own sexual gratification.

"She also assaulted both children on a number of occasions.

"All the occasions [of sexual abuse] were at night, at a time when she was drinking.

"He found it hard to come to terms with being a male who was sexually abused by a female."