A butcher who sexually assaulted young women at his workplace in Glenrothes has been jailed.
Martin Parish, 42, was found guilty of attacking a 16-year-old girl on various occasions between March and July last year.
He placed his hand under her lower clothing in an attempt to touch her private parts, repeatedly touched her on the buttocks and repeatedly kissed her on the lips.
He was also convicted of sexually assaulting another woman on various occasions by repeatedly placing his hands on her waist and buttock and punching her on the arm, between December 2020 and July last year.
The sex attacks took place at Fife Butchers in the Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes, and elsewhere.
Parish, of Woodstock Court, Glenrothes, was also found guilty of communicating indecently with four women by repeatedly making inappropriate sexual comments towards them.
He appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing in front of Sheriff Alison McKay, who convicted him following a trial in March.
Victim needed counselling
Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson told the court at least two of his victims were aged 18 or under and one of them sought counselling.
Defence lawyer David Bell said Parish maintained his denials and pointed out he had no convictions prior to his offending at the butchers.
Mr Bell said Parish lost his employment there but has since been offered a job with a removal company.
He argued his client could be punished with a community payback order under supervision and continue to work.
Sheriff McKay told Parish he was “lucky” not to be charged with abduction in relation to one of the charges and to only be appearing on a summary complaint.
The sheriff jailed Parish for 10 months and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade.
Previous conviction
In November last year, Parish avoided a prison sentence after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting another young woman at the butchers on an occasion in August 2021 by pressing himself against her and rubbing his clothed genitals against her bottom.
During a plea in mitigation at the time, defence lawyer Paul Anderson described it as an “isolated incident”.
The lawyer told the court Parish is a master butcher and the shop owners spoke “very highly” of him.
He said Parish’s life had “taken a downturn” since the incident.
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