A cocaine-fuelled sex attacker who went on to expose himself to two women in Perth after he was released on bail has been given an extended five-year sentence.
Twisted Sidney Masozo laughed at his victim as she screamed and cried for help at the window of his city centre flat.
He grabbed her by the throat and told her: “I could rape you right now.”
The 35-year-old later tried to pass off the incident as “fetish activity” that went too far.
Masozo was released on bail after appearing on petition at Perth Sheriff Court in connection with the assault on October 8 2019.
The court heard that eight months later, on June 12 2020, he exposed himself to another woman in the city’s Ballantine Place on June 12 2020.
And after being arrested and released for a third time, he went on to expose himself to a woman at another address in the city on February 14 2021.
‘Dreadful offences’
Masozo returned to court for sentencing, having previously pled guilty to sexually assaulting his first victim with intent to rape.
He also admitted two charges of intentionally exposing himself.
His lawyer urged the court not to immediately send him to jail but give him the chance to engage with a sex offender rehabilitation scheme.
Sheriff William Wood declined to defer further.
He told Masozo: “It does seem as though drug abuse is at the root of this behaviour.
“There were really dreadful offences.
“Charge one was a persistent sexual assault that involved elements of violence and a determination to pursue a sexual assault.
“The fact you were on drugs and alcohol at the time is no sort of excuse.
“I am satisfied that, even just in relation to that charge, a custodial sentence is necessary.”
Extended sentence
Of the later two offences, the sheriff said: “What is surprising that these are further sexual charges, despite the fact you previously appeared in court and were bail in connection to charge one.
“You offended in an unacceptable way.”
Masozo will spend three years in custody and a further two years on licence.
He was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
The court heard Masozo was not psychotic but does have a personality disorder.
Defence advocate Duncan McPhie KC said his client was born in Malawi but moved to the UK in 2014.
“He was in a relationship but that ended because of his substance misuse,” he said.
Mr McPhie said he had seen a “sea change” in his client’s personality since learning his ex-girlfriend was pregnant.
“He has shown remorse,” he said.
Rape fear terror
The court heard how Masozo targeted his first victim after a night out in Perth.
At his flat in Atholl Street, he began touching the woman’s thigh and she pushed him away and tried to leave.
Masozo had stripped down to his boxer shorts and began touching himself. He grabbed at her clothes as she tried to fight him off.
She screamed when he pushed her against a window and he laughed as she began pulling at his blinds.
He then pinned her by the throat, covered her mouth and said: “I can rape you right now”.
When Masozo got a call from a friend, the woman was able to grab the phone and scream to the caller for help.
He arrived a short time later and the woman explained what Masozo had done to her.
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry,” Masozo responded.
She punched him in the face.
Fetish fantasy
Masozo was later contacted by the woman’s sister on Facebook and he replied: “I have no history of beating up women or rape.
“I think what happened tonight was part of a fetish for her, where I get beaten up and dominated by her.
“This was my first time being involved in a fetish activity… She took things too far by shouting ‘rape’ at the top of her voice.”
Whining Masozo later complained to police he had been assaulted by the woman.
The court also heard Masozo exposed himself on a pedestrian footpath in Perth’s Ballantine Place on June 12 2020 and again at a property in Perth on February 14 2021
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