A man has been placed on the sex offenders register after he buried his face in a woman’s chest as she travelled on an Aberdeen-bound train from Inverness.
CCTV on board the Scotrail service captured the shocking moment Scott Grant moved in and placed his face against the bare skin of his victim – an act described by a sheriff as “repulsive”.
Grant, 59, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted the drink-fuelled sexual assault on August 19 of last year.
Sheriff Gary Aitken told Grant: “There are umpteen men who think that when they are drinking they are very funny and actually is it not, it is just repulsive behaviour.”
Attack left woman upset
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray told the court that the crime took place on board the 9.32pm service from Inverness to Aberdeen.
She said CCTV footage showed the woman boarding the train with others, with Grant getting into the same carriage.
She said that at 9.27pm Grant entered the carriage and indicated to the table where the woman was sitting.
He then sat down and “continued to interact with others around him” before pointing at the witness and approaching.
“He leaned over and spoke to the witness before indicating the chest area twice,” Ms Gray told Sheriff Aitken.
The fiscal depute said the woman leant forward to hear what Grant was saying, at which point he “leaned down further then put his face down on to the exposed skin of her chest and breast area”.
Woman ‘jolted’ at train sex assault
“The witness immediately reacted jolting her body and pushing the accused away,” said Ms Gray.
The court heard the CCTV footage showed the woman appearing upset and wiping her hand on her face.
The footage was not played for the court, however Sheriff Aitken commented: “That’s a shame – it might have done him no harm to see his behaviour live on a very big television screen.”
Grant’s solicitor Willie Young told the court: “He is not clear what came over him on the occasion libelled.
“He had been out with work colleagues, alcohol is no doubt one element of the matter.”
He said Grant and the woman had “a verbal exchange” prior to the incident and that his client had initially leaned closer as a consequence of requiring hearing aids.
“It was at that juncture he acted in the fashion libelled,” Mr Young said, adding: “He fully appreciates the seriousness of the matter that is before the court.”
‘Repellent behaviour’
Sheriff Aitken told Grant, of Main Street, Cummingston: “Alcohol is no excuse for repellent behaviour.
“I don’t imagine you would be very happy if somebody decided to behave this way towards your partner or daughter or grandchild. Think about that next time.”
He placed Grant on a community payback order with 12 months of supervision and ordered him to complete the Moving Forward to Change Programme for sexual offenders.