A sheriff is considering “bespoke supervision” for a man who subjected two women to sex attacks in Dundee.
Twenty-year-old Richard Flanagan attacked both women while they were in beds during the early hours of the morning in two separate incidents.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that one of the victims had a lock knife held to her neck by Flanagan, who was high on cocaine at the time.
Flanagan, on remand at Polmont young offenders’ institute, previously admitted the offences but is now being assessed on his suitability for supervision following his release from custody.
Essential support
Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “I have to take account of your difficult upbringing that you have little or no responsibility for, your youth, your lack of support and your relative lack of offending.
“Each of the first two incidents must have terrified the respective complainers and it’s entirely possible that they continue to suffer from your actions.
“I consider the offending in general entirely justifies me imposing a custodial sentence. The difficulty I have is that you have served almost all of a 20-month sentence on remand in this case.
“What you need more than anything once you emerge from Polmont is support, a place to live and a chance to live your life in a particular way.
“I want to give you a chance to try and do that.”
Cocaine fueled attack
During the first incident in February 2019, the woman, who didn’t know Flanagan, and her boyfriend had been at a gathering with Flanagan.
Things took a sinister turn when Flanagan took cocaine and produced a knife from the kitchen.
He showed the woman and her boyfriend the knife and placed the blade against her skin, saying: “If I hated you, I could stab you.”
Flanagan also placed the knife against the neck and arm of her and her boyfriend.
The woman began to cry and briefly managed to take the knife from Flanagan before he apologised. All three then went to bed before Flanagan returned to attack the couple.
Prosecutor Lora Apostolova said previously: “The accused said: ‘Can I come in and cuddle with you? These voices in my head are doing my head in.’
“The accused climbed into the bed but they told him no. The accused said he wasn’t tired and slapped and punched them on the face and head.”
The woman was sitting upright when Flanagan groped her indecently. Police were contacted and Flanagan provided a “no comment” interview.
Second victim ‘froze’
In June last year, Flanagan was at the second woman’s house for a party. Nobody at the party knew Flanagan.
The court heard how Flanagan became embroiled in an argument with the woman’s boyfriend. Everyone left apart from the woman and her friend.
She later received a call from her boyfriend saying he would be returning and later heard the doorbell ring.
However, it was Flanagan who had returned and asked the woman and her friend if they would have sex with him, which was refused.
A fully clothed Flanagan later got into bed with the women and sexually abused one of them.
Ms Apostolova said the woman “froze” and Flanagan continued to try and kiss her, stating that he had “demons inside him.”
Flanagan admitted presenting a lock knife at a woman and a man, placing it against their legs and necks, threatening to cut their arms and repeatedly slapping and punching their heads on February 15 2019.
He sexually assaulted the woman by entering a bed uninvited, pulling her body and touching her indecently.
On June 7 last year, Flanagan asked two women to engage in sexual activity, acted aggressively when they declined, threatened to punch a window and threatened violence towards one of their partners.
Thereafter, he sexually assaulted the woman by entering a bed uninvited, pulling her hair, trying to kiss her mouth and touching her indecently.
Sentence was deferred on Flanagan until later this month for an updated social work report to identify accommodation for Flanagan and bespoke supervision.
