Published: Wednesday, 19th December, 2007 08:30
Drunken sex attacker is spared jail
By Court reporter
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Raymond Lyons has been placed on probation for three years and ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service.
A SAUCHIE man who carried out a drunken sex attack after forcing his way into a woman’s home escaped a jail sentence on Friday.
Judge Lord Hodge instead put Raymond Lyons on probation for three years, telling him, “My primary concern in your case is to protect the public in future by getting you to address your behaviour.”
He also ordered Lyons (34) to take part in sex offender counselling and to carry out 150 hours of unpaid community work.
The court heard that Lyons had 27 previous convictions but no record for sex offences.
Solicitor advocate Brian Gilfedder told the court, “He doesn’t deny going into the lady’s house but denies there was any sexual element in his behaviour.”
But an earlier trial heard how Lyons, of Woodlands, Sauchie, asked the woman to kiss him, stroked her legs and pushed her on to a bed.
He faced a charge of assault with intent to rape but a jury found him guilty of a reduced charge of indecent assault after entering the house in Alva, uninvited.
Lyons was also cleared of an allegation that, at the time, he was wearing a mask and carrying a knife.
When he appeared for sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh, Mr Gilfedder disputed a suggestion in background reports that there was a high risk that Lyons would commit other sex offences.
Father-of-three Lyons was expecting to be a dad again any day now, said the lawyer.
Lord Hodge told Lyons, “It is clear from the social inquiry report you have no insight into the effects of your behaviour on your victim and you appear to be blind to the sexual element in your drink-fuelled offending.”
He warned him that if he offended again or failed to attend any of the sessions for sex offenders he could be jailed.
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