A Forfar sex pest with a growing catalogue of sexual convictions will spend the festive season behind bars after admitting carrying out more offences this year.
Gavin Ross, who has been added to the sex offenders register multiple times, was brought from prison to Forfar Sheriff Court to admit more lewd crimes.
Just nine days after being released from his last prison sentence, Ross ranted about having a gun at Whitehills hospital in Forfar.
While on bail for that offence, he repeatedly touched his genitals during a bus journey from Dundee to Forfar while sitting beside a frightened teenager.
Ross was locked up after being caught at 10am, standing at his window and handling his exposed private parts, before giving a thumbs up to aghast elderly neighbours.
The 44-year-old, who was due to undergo a head scan this month in relation to his escalating criminal conduct, will be sentenced in January.
Gun remark
Ross admitted he assaulted a nurse at Whitehills Hospital on July 21 this year by making menacing remarks to her.
He had only been liberated from jail on July 12.
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie explained Ross was wandering the corridors of the health centre at 9am “making a nuisance of himself.”
At the minor injuries unit, he complained of a sore toe and walked into a room where a patient was being treated.
He asked for antibiotics and was told he could not be given drugs by a staff nurse.
Grabbing his pocket, Ross said: “Well I’ve got a gun, give me something.”
Shaken staff phoned police and Ross was later traced cycling through Forfar.
Bad bus behaviour
At 4.30pm on September 26 this year, an 18-year-old boarded the number 20 Stagecoach bus from Dundee to Forfar.
Ross got on near the petrol station on Forfar Road and despite there being empty seats elsewhere, sat next to the teenager.
Ms Ritchie said: “She described the accused as behaving in a strange manner.
“The accused, throughout the journey, sat close to the complainer.
“During points he was observed to touch his groin area with his hand. The complainer felt uncomfortable throughout.”
When Ross alighted, he walked to the window beside the girl and licked his lips, while smiling.
Ross admitted he engaged in sexual activity in the presence of another while on bail.
‘My breeks were slack’
On two bail orders, Ross offended again on the morning of November 21 by exposing himself to a married couple in their seventies from within his Strathmore Street home.
The couple parked on the street near the ground floor flat at around 10am.
Ross was at his living room window with his tracksuit bottoms lowered to his knees, exposing and handling his “naked, flaccid penis.”
The woman alerted her husband who challenged Ross.
“The accused responded by directing a thumbs up towards them,” Ms Ritchie said.
Police were called and Ross told officers: “My breeks were slack and fell down.”
He later added: “I doubt she complained.”
Ross was remanded.
Historic head injury may be deteriorating
Solicitor Sarah Russo said: “He was engaging with criminal justice on a voluntary basis.
“He was scheduled to have a brain scan on December 3. This was to assess a brain injury that he had some years ago.
“I think there was a concern that there had been a deterioration given the escalation of his recent offending.
“That scan did not go ahead.”
Ms Russo explained her client suffered a brain injury following a traffic collision in 1999.
“Prior to that accident, Mr Ross was effectively a functioning member of society.
“All his convictions have been accrued following on from that accident.”
Sheriff Paul Ralph deferred sentencing until January 9 and remanded Ross.
He said: “I am prepared to get reports. I know it’s been tried before and it hasn’t worked in the past.
“You can’t keep on like this. It’s now escalating. I can’t let you out just now with all this happening.”
The sheriff placed Ross on the sex offenders register again.
Growing criminal record
Ross has a lengthy history of nuisance offending.
In 2016, he admitted standing on the A90 central reservation throwing bricks at traffic because he was angry at lorries.
Three years later he was jailed for dancing and exposing himself by the side of the same busy road.
Ross was jailed again in 2022 after a jury at Perth Sheriff Court convicted him of alarming staff at a Forfar bookies.
He stood outside the shop and rubbed his nipples while staring inside.
The same year, he exposed himself to prison guards.
He was also placed on the sex offender register for bothering schoolchildren in Forfar.
Ross has also recently wound up in court for rubbing his nipples on his doorstep and mooning at the town police station after officers seized his sound system.
Latterly, he exposed himself to police after brandishing a brush at staff in The Factory Shop.
For more local court content visit our dedicated page or join us on Facebook.
