A man who indecently assaulted a number of women in a busy Angus pub was yesterday ordered to pay £2000 compensation to his victims.
Sheriff Norrie Stein fined Robert Docherty (38) a further £500 and placed him on the sex offenders register for five years at Arbroath Sheriff Court.
Docherty, of Stevenson Grove, Edinburgh, previously admitted four charges relating to offences at the Albert Bar in Market Street, Montrose, on July 31, 2010.
The Crown accepted his not guilty pleas to three further charges alleged to have happened the same night against two other women.
The sheriff said, “These are extremely serious offences. I think compensation is a very good idea and that will be £500 for each of the individuals referred to in charges one, three, four and seven.
“You have suggested that you would like to make payment to other women named in the charges you pled not guilty to. That can’t be done through the court but it is a matter for your own conscience.
“I think it would be a very good thing for you to do.”
“You did the right thing by pleading guilty right at the start. It would have been a fine of £750, but it comes down to £500 because of your early plea.
“You will be placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years.”Very drunkThe court had heard that one of the women noted Docherty was “very drunk” when she walked by and then felt the accused groping her.
The accused was seated while doing this and at no time did he speak to her or look directly at her. She was so shocked she didn’t react other than to push his hand away.
Docherty later reached out and spanked another woman on the bottom while she was on the dance floor.
This action was met with shouting and anger, alerting his original victim to the fact more than one person was targeted.
Docherty tried to grab women on a number of occasions before he was eventually ejected.
Within the next few days, one woman reported the matter to the police, who viewed CCTV footage.
Interviewed by officers, Docherty said he could not remember anything due to the amount of alcohol he had drunk.
Defence agent William Boyle yesterday said his client’s behaviour was out of character and was down to “extreme intoxication.”
He said Docherty had suggested giving compensation to all the women named on the complaint against him, not just those in relation to these charges that he pled guilty to.
“He does accept this is a serious matter and he has not had a drink since this incident,” said Mr Boyle.