In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 21-year-old William Robertson was found guilty of attempting to murder a nine-month-old baby girl. Robertson—of Jean Armour Drive, Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire—was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow following a trial. It was reported that the investigation into Robertson’s conduct began on 9 September 2017, after the infant was discovered with a fractured skull and severe bruising to her forehead and body.
The investigation established that Robertson repeatedly struck the nine-month-old, despite his claims that she had simply fallen from a couch while he was sleeping. High Court medical experts reported that the baby’s injuries were inconsistent with a single fall and were caused by more than one incident of blunt force trauma. The prosecution established that Robertson had been drinking high-alcohol “Dragon’s Soup” and fortified wine before the attack, refuting his claims that he was not a monster and that he had sought a lie detector test on The Jeremy Kyle Show to prove his innocence.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Robertson has a significant history of violent and abusive behaviour. High Court proceedings revealed that he had previously been convicted of threatening a neighbour with a baseball bat that had a knife attached to the end. The investigation established that just months before the attempted murder trial, a jury at Dumbarton Sheriff Court also found Robertson guilty of a 18-month campaign of abusive and threatening behaviour towards three of his former partners.
Judge Norman Ritchie QC presided over the case, noting the gravity of the assault on such a vulnerable victim. For his actions in Clydebank and West Dunbartonshire, Robertson’s sentence was deferred for background reports to assess the full extent of his dangerousness. The court heard that the child, who is now two years old, has fortunately made a full physical recovery from the life-threatening injuries inflicted at the Jean Armour Drive flat.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in West Dunbartonshire, the status of William Robertson as of April 6, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (Sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment in 2018; currently incarcerated).
- Sex Offenders Register: N/A (Convicted of attempted murder/violent offence).
- Order Status: Subject to an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) or significant extended licence upon release.
- DBS Status: Placed on the PVG Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children and protected adults).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempted murder; 1 count).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow; investigated by Police Scotland.
- Criminal Record: Attempted murder of a 9-month-old; History of domestic abuse against three ex-partners; Possession of an offensive weapon (knife-bat).
- Origin: Jean Armour Drive, Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Robertson is managed as a high-risk violent offender within the prison estate and remains a priority for the Police Scotland Public Protection Unit. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically the “extreme violence” used against an infant and a documented history of domestic abuse—his management is a critical priority. Authorities state that his history of using improvised weapons and his pattern of threatening behaviour towards women confirm he poses a substantial risk to the public.
As a convicted violent offender, the then 21-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national criminal database. Authorities state that his eventual release will involve the most stringent supervision by the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Scotland. Any future residence in Clydebank or West Dunbartonshire will be strictly monitored, with conditions likely including a total ban on unsupervised contact with children and mandatory alcohol rehabilitation. Any breach of his lifelong conditions will result in immediate return to custody to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of volatile and life-threatening violence.
QUESTION – Given that the offender blamed the baby’s injuries on a fall despite clear medical evidence of multiple strikes, do you believe that “False Accusation of Accident” in child abuse cases should trigger a mandatory minimum sentence increase?
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