FIFE MAN WHO TARGETED YOUNG WOMEN AVOIDS PUNISHMENT BUT PUT ON REGISTER
A 42-year-old man, who repeatedly targeted young women at their work and on a bus, has been put on the sex offenders register for five years.
On three separate occasions Steven Boyd, of Westwood Place, Dunfermline, pestered young women and in one case committed a sexual assault.
Despite that he was admonished when he appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing for offences which all occurred last year.
Boyd admitted that on 30th June at River Island, Kingsgate shopping centre, he approached a female shop worker, blew kisses at her, asked if she was in a relationship, made inappropriate comments to her and stood staring at her.
On 24th August at another store in the Kingsgate, he sexually assaulted a young woman by taking hold of her hand and kissing it.
On 22nd October, during a bus journey between Halbeath Road and Dunfermline bus station he approached a female, sat next to her when there were multiple other seats available, asked her personal questions, asked if she had a boyfriend and later attended at her place of work, Primark, causing her fear and alarm.
The court was told that Boyd had regularly attended at the Kingsgate Centre where he was a familiar face to some workers.
He has learning difficulties and is under the care of Fife Council for a set number of hours each week.
The sexual assault involved a 19-year-old female, who was working alone in the shop at the time.
Boyd approached her, put his hand out as if to shake hands and, when the worker offered her hand back, he began kissing it.
She pulled away her hand and was left feeling “very uncomfortable” by his actions.
The River Island incident involved a 21-year-old female who was working at the shop when she was approached by Boyd, who introduced himself and began following her around.
He said she was “beautiful” and began blowing kisses towards her.
He asked her if she had a boyfriend and stood staring at her for a time, leaving her feeling uncomfortable.
The bus incident involved a 19-year-old female who was a passenger on a service bus in the early afternoon when Boyd got on and ignoring all the empty seats around, sat down next to her.
He began asking her name, was she single and would her boyfriend be jealous of her speaking to him.
When the bus arrived in Dunfermline, the young woman called her mum to tell her what had happened.
Later, as she worked in the Primark store, she saw Boyd, told her manager and the police were contacted.
Sentencing on Boyd has been deferred on numerous occasions
to see what the situation is at the end of the compulsion order.
A compulsion order is imposed by a court when an offender commits an offence that is punishable by imprisonment but is found to have a mental disorder.
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon noted that there had been no further offending and admonished Boyd. However, he put him on the sex offenders register for five years.
