Tuesday court round-up — A ‘hideously inappropriate’ relationship
by The Crime and Courts Team · The CourierA 49-year-old HGV driver falsely believed a “relationship was blossoming” when he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl.
Steven Duncan, of Croft Crescent, Markinch, kissed his victim on the lips and inserted his tongue into her mouth at an address in Crosshill, Fife on October 8 last year.
He appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to the sexual assault.
Defence lawyer Elaine Buist said Duncan had perceived it was a “relationship that was blossoming”.
The solicitor said Duncan is employed full time as a HGV driver.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland told Duncan: “It’s difficult to get one’s head round why you did this.
“It does seem you genuinely thought some kind of relationship was blossoming and that was clearly not the case”.
The sheriff told Duncan his behaviour was “hideously inappropriate” and was no doubt distressing to the young woman.
Sheriff Sutherland made a requirement for Duncan to pay £500 compensation to his victim.
He also put him on offender supervision for 12 months, with a strict conduct requirement attached.
Duncan was put on the sex offenders register for a year.
Duncan had previously faced two other sexual assault allegations concerning the same complainer and a claim he sent suggestive messages to her, along with an allegation he sexually assaulted another woman, but prosecutors accepted not guilty pleas to all of these charges.
‘Itchy boils’
A pervert who performed a solo sex act at a Perth park in front of three children told police: “I’ve got itchy boils.”
Grubby Colin Grieve was spotted in broad daylight with his hands down his shorts at the city’s North Inch.
Grieve admitted public indecency when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.Perth Sheriff Court heard how the 42-year-old was challenged by mums who were at the park with their children aged 11, nine and three.
When questioned by police, he claimed he was scratching himself after a recent shave.
Grieve, of Primrose Crescent, Perth, admitted a charge of public indecency on April 22 2020 – just days into the first lockdown.
He was placed on the sex offenders register and will be sentenced next month.
Thug was ‘mucking about’
A domestic thug who put his girlfriend in a sleeper hold until she blacked out said he was “only mucking about”.
John Tierney’s victim fell unconscious for several minutes after he seized her by the neck “out of nowhere” in the kitchen of her Dundee home.
The 36-year-old was told he was lucky not to be facing a murder charge.
He accessed his then partner’s bank account without her permission, threatened to kill her, demanded money from her and seized and compressed her neck until she passed out, the court heard.
New driver banned
A teenager driver who crossed a solid white line to pull around two other vehicles has been banned from the road.
Logan McBride received six penalty points to add to the three he already had on his license.
As a new driver, it means he is disqualified under the totting up procedure.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff court heard the 19 year-old, of Cunningham Road Rosyth, was folllowed through Auchtertool village by another driver who became concerned when he saw him tailgating a van which was driving behind another car.
As the convoy exited the village, McBride pulled around the vehicles in front of him, crossing over a solid white line on a blind bend.
McBride pled guilty to driving carelessly on the B925 at Auchtertool on December 28 last year.
In addition to the penalty points, he was fined £400.
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