A lodger who sexually assaulted his sleeping landlady has been banned from going out at night for the next 15 weeks.
Scott Thoms was put on a 7pm to 6am curfew and placed on the sex offenders register, to be supervised for nine months.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how the 45-year-old victim awoke in the night to find Thoms groping her thighs and private parts.
She struggled initially to work out who it was in the dark, but Thoms said “it’s Scott” before apologising for what he was doing.
Social work advice on ‘sexual boundaries’
Sheriff Gillian Wade told him: “Sexual offending is intolerable and you require to be dealt with on the basis that this is a sexual offence.
“I have an inclination this was a situational incident, rather than one that was planned or that you are likely to repeat.
“That doesn’t take away from the seriousness of it.”
She told Thoms he would benefit from social workers giving him advice on “sexual boundaries” with women.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told the court Thoms struck after his landlady had been on a night out drinking with friends in Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
“At 12.30am she returned home. She went upstairs and collected a duvet and made her way back down to the living room,” Mr Sweeney said.
“She was heavily intoxicated, but recalled taking off her shoes and jeans before lying on the sofa. She was only wearing pants, a bra and top.”
‘Awoke to find someone groping her’
In the early hours, he said she awoke to find someone groping her.
“She opened her eyes and saw the accused. It was dark. He said his name was Scott. She saw he was sitting next to her on the sofa and heard him saying ‘I’m sorry’.
“She saw the accused get up and leave the living room and heard him make his way to the spare bedroom that he sleeps in. She didn’t mention the incident to anyone at the time,” said Mr Sweeney.
Thoms, 50, Coldstream Avenue, Perth, admitted sexually assaulting a woman while she was drunk and sleeping in Blairgowrie on December 8 last year.
‘Alcohol had been involved’
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, told Perth Sheriff Court: “Clearly alcohol had been involved for both parties on the evening.
“They had both been out and returned home.
“There had been some communication between the complainer and Mr Thoms prior to this offence being committed. He accepts responsibility.”
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