OAP dog walker (74) sexually assaulted woman in Cardenden street

The victim was returning from a night out when she was groped by a complete stranger, John Gray, who asked her “Do you fancy me?” The woman was on the phone to her mum at the time and ran home in a distressed state.

Gray, of Winding Wheel Way, Cardenden, appeare at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing. He used a walking stick as he shuffled his way into the dock and was given headphones to aid his hearing.

He admitted that on September 8 in Cardenden, he sexually assaulted a woman by placing his hand on her shoulder, touching her naked waist and pulling her towards him. He also communicated indecently with her and made inappropriate sexual remarks to her. Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf previously told the court the incident occurred at around 2:00am when Gray was out walking his dog.

The 31-year-old victim was returning home after a night out. She was walking along the street in her bare feet holding her shoes when she was accosted by Gray.

He said, “It’s a cold night” and then “You look lovely.”

Gray went on, “You’re beautiful, you’re sexy” and began touching her, pulling her towards him.

He continued pulling her and said, “Do you like me? Do you fancy me?”

She replied, “Definitely not.”

While this was going on, the woman was on the phone to her mum, having started the call before Gray appeared. The mum could hear what was being said.

The victim then shouted to her mum to unlock their door and she ran into the house in a distressed state, added the depute.

Gray later told the police he had been drinking and was “tipsy”. He said he was trying to make the woman “feel cheery” and that he was “being friendly”.

Sheriff Paul Ralph told Gray, “It’s a mystery why somebody your age is coming to court in these circumstances. This woman was just making her way home at night.”

He imposed a 27-week restriction of liberty order between 10:00pm and 6:00am and put Gray on the sex offenders register for five years.