A Perthshire teenager was put on the sex offenders register for seven years and sentenced to six months’ detention on Wednesday after he admitted “terrorising” a defenceless young woman.
Kevin Bryant (18), Viewfield Place, and co-accused Michael Mackie (19), High Street, both Burrelton, struck shortly before midnight on February 28 last year.
Their victim, a 20-year-old Perth woman, was on a night out with friends and was on her way to get a taxi home. The pair began following her at St John’s Place and caught up with her at South Street.
The court heard that Mackie knew her by name and pushed her over “for a joke,” causing her to collide with a parked car and fracture her wrist. Terrified, the injured woman continued on to Hospital Street, where she was approached by Bryant.
Depute fiscal Rebecca Kynaston told Perth Sheriff Court, “He pushed her up against a wall and pinned her there by pressing his body against hers, preventing her from escaping.
“He then groped her bottom before demanding that she perform a sexual act on him. At that point a passer-by appeared and Bryant stepped back.”
Ms Kynaston added that the woman managed to flee and hid in a shop doorway before phoning a friend in a “distressed state.” Desperate to get home, she initially refused medical treatment. She later contacted the police.
Bryant admitted at an earlier appearance that on March 1 at Hospital Street he assaulted the woman by grabbing hold of her, pushing her against a wall, restraining her using body pressure, touching her inappropriately and that he also uttered threats.
Mackie admitted that he assaulted the woman to her severe injury on South Street on the same date by pushing her over, causing her to fall to the ground.
The court heard that both accused deeply regretted their actions.
Solicitor David Holmes, representing Mackie, said his client had not meant to push the woman with such force. He added that the 19-year-old’s actions had been “boisterous” but there had been no sexual motive.
Defending Bryant, solicitor Alison Mackay said he suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis ordered Mackie to carry out 80 hours’ community service and pay his victim £250 in compensation.
Sentencing Bryant to six months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution he said, “You are in a totally different situation. You pinned her against a wall so she couldn’t move, touched her in a sexual manner and indicated you were going to have forcible sexual relations with her.
“Goodness only knows what she thought was going to happen. It took someone else’s actions to stop you going any further. No wonder she was found in tears.”