An offshore worker has been jailed after he followed two vulnerable women home from an Aberdeen pub, entered their home without permission and removed all his clothes.
Anthony Christie stripped naked and touched his private parts in front of the shocked pair, who were first targeted by him as they played pool in an Aberdeen pub.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told former soldier Christie, 44, was so drunk he has no memory of his actions and “misread” the situation.
Sheriff Philip Mann castigated Christie for his actions towards the young women and jailed him for more than a year.
Followed vulnerable women home
Fiscal depute David Rogers told the court that the two women – who both suffer from Asperger’s and speech problems – were in the Brig O’ Dee Bar at about 4pm on May 11 last year.
After ordering soft drinks, they began playing pool and it was then that Christie approached and started asking if they had boyfriends and what their plans were for the evening.
“They were civil towards him for a short period of time, advising that they had boyfriends in the hope that he would stop speaking to them,” Mr Rogers said.
Later, as they walked home, they became aware of Christie following them and as they reached their flat, he approached and began talking to them again.
One of the women opened the door of their flat and, as she held it open for the other woman, Christie walked past and entered their home uninvited.
Christie stripped naked
As the three sat down, Christie asked if he could remove his top to which one of the women stated ‘no’ – but he did it anyway, putting it back on a few minutes later.
Christie then placed his hand on the leg of the other woman and said he wanted to have sex with her, to which the woman told him ‘no’.
He moved seats to sit next to the other woman and stated that he wanted to have sex with her.
“The accused asked if he could take his clothes off and both complainers said, ‘no’,” Mr Rogers said.
“The accused ignored their wishes and stripped naked and touched his private parts in front of the complainers, who looked away.
“He repeatedly asked the complainers for sex, which they declined. The accused eventually stopped, got dressed and left the locus.”
The woman were alarmed by what had happened but felt unable to tell Christie to leave due to their vulnerabilities, Mr Rodgers added.
They went back to the Brig O’ Dee Bar, where a member of staff helped them report the incident to the police.
In the dock, Christie pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault on each of his female victims.
‘If I can’t remember that what else can I not remember?’
Defence solicitor Tony Burgess told the court that his client was drunk that day and “had little recollection” of what happened.
“When I showed him the CCTV footage from inside the bar it was almost like someone had turned a light on for him, in so far that he couldn’t believe he was doing what was being alleged,” the solicitor said.
“He had absolutely no recollection of being in that bar until he saw the CCTV.
“And Mr Christie thought if I can’t remember that, what else can I not remember?”
Mr Burgess went on to state that his client’s actions “must have been terrible” for his victims, adding that Christie’s “remorse and shame has been genuine throughout”.
He said that Christie had assumed the women wanted sex because they were in a bar and that he had misread the situation.
“Mr Christie needs help changing that mindset,” Mr Burgess said.
Sheriff Mann told Christie that he had forced himself upon “two young, vulnerable females”.
“The offending in this case is sufficiently serious to merit a custodial sentence.”
The sheriff sentenced Christie, of Hallfield Road, Aberdeen, to 20 months in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
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