Kirkcaldy man facing jail after forcing way into pensioner's home

Simon Johnston (39), subjected the 71-year-old woman to a violent ordeal which lasted for several hours at a property in Kirkcaldy in June 2015.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Johnston grabbed the female by the hair and forced her from her kitchen to a bedroom.

He ignored the woman’s pleas for him to stop and threatened to kill her before restricting her breathing by placing a pillow over her mouth.

The pervert held a knife to her and told her that he wanted sex.

However, Johnston, also of Kirkcaldy, then left the pad.

He was arrested after reading on a news website the following day about how police were seeking a man in connection with the attack.

The description of the male that detectives believed was responsible for the attack matched Johnston.

He contacted police and claimed the woman had been telling lies.

Today (Friday), a jury saw through Johnston’s claims and convicted him on a charge of assault with the intention to rape the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Following conviction, Judge Lady Stacey told Johnston that she wanted to know more about his background.

It had earlier been revealed that Johnston had previously served a six year jail sentence for assault. He had been convicted at the Crown Court in Stoke Upon Trent in 2000.

She said: “Sentence will be deferred to a later date in order for the court to obtain reports about your background.”

During proceedings, the court heard how Johnston forced his way into the woman’s house last year.

The court heard how Johnston’s victim was left petrified during the June 20 incident.

The female told the court how Johnston ordered her to shut the windows and instructed her to be quiet.

He then threatened her with a blade.

The court heard Johnston called the woman by another name when he came into the house.

Johnston continued to abuse the woman over the course of several hours.

He used a knife from the woman’s kitchen to intimidate her during the attack.

The court heard that Johnston eventually left the property.

Giving evidence, Johnston admitted to visiting the woman’s home. He said she was vulnerable and that he wanted to help her.

He wept uncontrollably at times during his evidence.

He said that he had spent a pleasant time with her. However, he told defence solicitor advocate Jim Stephenson that the mood changed.

Johnston said the woman’s mood towards him changed and she accused him of being a murderer and a rapist.

He told the court: “It’s a disgusting thing to be called.”

Johnston told the court that he left the property.

The following day, he discovered the police were looking for somebody with his description who held a woman against her will in Kirkcaldy.

He said he had been reading a news website at the time.

Johnston said: “I was disgusted at what I read. The description matched me with regards to everything – right to the jeans I was wearing and I was upset because it wasn’t true.”

Johnston admitted to touching a knife in the woman’s house.

He said he did this because the blade was coloured green.

Johnston said: “Being a Celtic fan, I just like the colour green. It was an accidental touch.”

In her closing speech, prosecution lawyer Susanne Tanner told the jury there was compelling evidence to convict Johnston.

The court heard that her evidence could be corroborated by the fact that she had suffered a total of 28 injuries.

Medical experts concluded that the nature of the injuries suggested that she had been assaulted.

Ms Tanner told jurors: “I suggest that you can conclude that as a witness, she is credible and reliable.”

Johnston, a prisoner of HMP Perth, will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on May 20, 2016.