A DAD-of-five who repeatedly raped a schoolgirl texted her when he wanted sex.

Allan Galbraith, 38, from Glasgow, would send a message on his phone to the girl saying “Mere.”

Prosecutor Gillian Ross told the High Court: “When the accused decided he wanted sexual intercourse, he would make contact with her by mobile phone. He would send a message saying 'mere.'"

Galbraith admitted raping the girl on various occasions between January 2016 and February 2018 in Glasgow, when she was aged between 12 and 14.

Miss Ross said: “When she was 12, the accused started having full sexual intercourse with her. At the start he had sex with her twice a month, but things progressed to the point whereby he was having sexual intercourse with her once a week, sometimes more.

“She was too young to understand what was happening to her. He told her she was not allowed to tell anyone, otherwise he would get into trouble.

“On some occasions she threatened to go to the police, but the accused became angry and she feared reprisals. Over time she started to realise what was happening to her was not right.”

The court heard that the victim finally broke down in tears and told her mother what Galbraith had been doing to her.

Police went to Galbraith's home looking for him and after a 15-minute search found him in a large cupboard under the stairs. He was upside down and buried by rubbish.

When questioned by police he admitted he had had sex with the schoolgirl on two occasions when she was 13 and admitted there had been some form of sexual contact on about 70 occasions.

Judge Lady Rae deferred sentence until next month and placed Galbraith, who is in Barlinnie prison,, on the sex offenders' register.

Defence counsel Tony Lenehan will give his plea in mitigation when the case calls again.