A serial sex offender branded a “real and imminent danger” has been caged for sexually assaulting a woman in Dundee.
Remorseless Ian King forced himself on his victim at a premises in the city’s Lyon Street in November, last year.
The 36-year-old exposed himself to his victim before grabbing her.
The woman managed to fight him off before he fled down the street.
The distressing attack was a breach of King’s Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which was imposed following a string of sex crimes nearly a decade ago.
He had been banned from touching, speaking to or even approaching women, with some exceptions for retail transactions and family events.
King was told he could not start a relationship, unless the woman had been made aware of his full history of sexual offending.
He appeared in the dock before Sheriff Gillian Wade and admitted the assault and a breach of his SOPO.
He was handed an extended sentence of five years and 10 months, of which, he will serve 34 months in custody.
Grim reading
Sheriff Gillian Wade told King: “All of the background reports I have attained in relation to you make for very grim reading indeed.
“In particular, you are now assessed as a very high risk of sexual offending in the future.
“Community-based interventions and public prevention measures which have been imposed have served as no deterrent.
“You continue to breach your Sexual Offender Prevention Order in the belief that – as you yourself said – you would ‘get away with it’.”
She said: “You have the potential to cause serious harm and that is a real and imminent danger unless work is carried out to address your sexual offending.
“These offences also show an escalation in your behaviour, indicating an attack on a lone female, with no victim empathy or remorse.”
The sheriff said King had “no regard for court orders whatsoever”.
She added: “You will require to demonstrate a significant shift in your attitude before you can be safely released.
“To this extent, I consider that an extended sentence is essential.”
Lone female attacked
Solicitor Linda Clark, defending, told the court: “The Criminal Justice Social Work report makes for somewhat depressing reading.
“It presents someone who has had a lonely, isolated existence and who has been unable thus far to form a relationship within the normal boundaries.”
She said: “Unfortunately, in this case, an opportunity was afforded to him.
“He struck up a conversation with the complainer, before leaving the locus and then returning.
“He strikes up a further conversation with her and then entirely misconceives the perception that she wished to return any form of affection.”
She said: “Mr King is realistic and he is entirely aware that a custodial sentence will be imposed.”
King’s victim said he had pestered her several times and kept asking to use her toilet.
She said when he appeared for a fourth time, she felt something pressing against her back and looked round to see he had exposed himself.
Criminal history
King’s lengthy criminal record dates back to the mid-2000s.
In 2007, he admitted assaulting a female shop owner by running his hand up her leg as she cleaned shelves.
He was banned from having unsupervised contact with children and entering public parks.
In 2009, he was jailed for repeatedly phoning a driving instructor and making obscene comments.
And during a hearing in 2013, he complained that a curfew he had been placed on was “too restrictive”.
The court allowed him to have a break from his electronic tagging order at weekends, so he could go to the cinema.
One Dundee charity said the move “defied all logic”.
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