A violent nightclub sex attacker has avoided being locked up after the court was told he suffers post-traumatic stress following a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Daniel Rougvie, 33, grabbed a woman’s bottom on the dancefloor of Prohibition nightclub before savagely beating her boyfriend and attacking police – telling one officer “I want to bite your throat”.
He also admitted being in possession of knuckledusters, threatening police and of resisting arrest.
Before sentencing, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told his behaviour that night was impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder since returning from Afghanistan.
The 33-year old was sentenced to three years on the sex offenders register and 300 hours of unpaid work.
‘I want to rip your face off’
Fiscal depute Anne MacDonald told the court how police were summoned by Prohibition door staff in February 2019 after a fight broke out and Rougvie’s victim had suffered a deep laceration to the face.
She said: “The accused was searched prior to being placed in the police van and within the right pocket of his trousers police found knuckledusters.
“The accused was so aggressive when he arrived at the police station that during booking in procedures, he turned to one officer and said: ‘I want to rip your face off’.
“He then turned to another officer and said: ‘I want to bite your throat off’.”
Due to Rougvie’s violent behaviour that night, officers were forced to put him in an anti-harm suit.
However, Ms MacDonald told the court that when one officer loosened the suit to allow Rougvie to remove his jumper, he lunged forward “with his mouth open and attempted to bite the constable”.
Army service had a ‘lasting effect’ on him
Defence agent Iain McGregor said psychiatric and criminal justice social work reports found that Rougvie had been going through a “torrid time”.
He said: “Mr Rougvie had served in the armed forces and served in Afghanistan and the report indicated that there were lasting effects from that.
“Prior to February 2019 he also had been involved in the use of controlled drugs, which seemed to have some effect on him.”
He added that given the number of charges against his client, he was aware that a prison sentence was “a distinct possibility”.
Handing down his sentence, Sheriff William Summers told Rougvie: “You were found guilty by a jury of sexually assaulting a young woman in a local bar, you pled guilty to assaulting her partner and of other charges involving possession of an offensive weapon – a knuckleduster.
“The number of these charges and the combination has caused me to give serious consideration to whether the only appropriate disposal of your case is the imposition of a custodial sentence.
“It is clear from the psychiatric assessment that there are issues of post-traumatic stress and I take account of the underlying mental health issues that clearly contributed to these offences.”
He added that he was satisfied that there was an appropriate alternative to custody.
Sheriff Summers sentenced Rougvie, of Lemon Place, Aberdeen, to a community payback order with a supervision requirement lasting three years and 300 hours of unpaid work.
He will also spend three years on the sex offenders register.
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