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Inverness court told young man misread situation with woman





Sheriff Gary Aitken heard the case at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Gary Aitken heard the case at Inverness Sheriff Court.

A man claimed to have misread an invitation from a woman he met after chatting on social media to share her bed providing they remained clothed.

The pair had watched a film together on the night of December 4, 2022 and she agreed that Fraser Polworth (25) of Balnafettack Place, Inverness could stay at her place.

But Inverness Sheriff Court heard that the woman fell asleep only to be woken by him the following morning with his hand in her shorts.

Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told Sheriff Gary Aitken: "She froze and pretended to still be asleep. He continued for a few minutes. She eventually moved her body, causing him to stop, and he removed his hands from her underwear.

“She got up and went to the downstairs balcony and locked the door as she was scared.

"She called her mum and told her what happened."

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The court heard that Polworth spoke to her, saying he wanted to explain.

Ms Duffy-Welsh added: "She unlocked the door and asked him to leave. She disclosed to her flatmate what had happened and contacted the police on January 17, 2023.”

It wasn't until September 14, 2023 that Polworth was arrested and charged, making admissions that he had touched her before realising it wasn't reciprocated and he stopped.

Sheriff Aitken told defence solicitor Marc Dickson: "He seems to be naive rather than dangerous - stupid comes into it as well. But it is hard to find a sensible explanation for behaviour of this kind.

“This was not a respectful thing to do. Mercifully that is all that is at the back of this.

“However it will have been a frightening experience for the individual.”

He told Polworth: "I have no doubt now that you are married it will not happen again and you will do what you are told."

The sheriff placed Polworth under six months of social work supervision, ordered him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid community work and to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for six months.


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