Tayside woman who allegedly hit pensioner with poker has conviction quashed

A Tayside woman who was alleged to have offered sexual services to a pensioner before hitting him with a poker has had her three-year conviction quashed.

Louise McDougall, 26, was jailed in February after appearing at Dundee Sheriff Court where it was claimed she hit a wheelchair-bound 87-year-old, with the weapon.

She was then said to have falsely cried rape after offering to perform a sex act on the Montrose pensioner.

But today, judges at the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh overturned the conviction against McDougall, formerly of Mount Avenue, Montrose.

It is understood her solicitor argued that his client wasn’t given a fair trial.

The complainer is profoundly deaf and had been interviewed by police and in court proceedings with the aid of an interpreter.

It was revealed today that he had been known by the interpreter – albeit professionally – for 16 years.

As a result, judges today ruled that a different interpreter should have been called to assist the pensioner to avoid any potential bias during the court proceedings.