A 23-year-old man who had been residing in a hotel used to accommodate asylum seekers has been convicted of two sexual assaults against women in Falkirk. The attacks occurred in the early hours of November 30. Both victims were in their early 20s and were walking home alone after nights out in the town center.
The first assault took place near a railway bridge on Kerse Lane. The perpetrator approached the woman, hugged her, kissed her face and mouth repeatedly, and placed his hands under her clothing. He then moved on to Kerse Lane and the nearby Bellsmeadow skate park, where he attacked a second woman. In this incident, he pinned her against a tree before putting his hands under her clothing.
The accused, who reportedly arrived in the UK by boat, denied the charges. He told police he was merely "roaming around" as he had no one to socialize with at the hotel. Following a four-day trial at Stirling Sheriff Court in May, a jury deliberated for three hours before finding him guilty on both counts.
The hotel where the man had been staying is a grey and white, two-storey building with a car park.
A police mugshot shows the convicted man with short black hair and a black beard, wearing a black t-shirt.
