Ellis Birnie

A man from Shetland, Ellis Birnie, aged 27, has been found guilty of several sexual offences following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. The convictions stem from assaults committed against two vulnerable women in Shetland, highlighting a pattern of predatory behaviour towards those in compromised states.

The court heard detailed evidence from the first victim, a woman with diabetes, who described an incident in October 2018 during an outing. She stated that her high blood sugars had left her 'very, very deeply asleep, almost comatose'. In pre-recorded evidence played to the jury, she recounted waking to find Birnie's hand inside her trousers, noting she was 'completely sparked out' and not fully alert at the time. This assault was one of several against her, occurring between 12 September and 3 December 2018 at Birnie's home in Sandveien, Lerwick, and other locations in Shetland. The victim also described an earlier incident in September 2018 at the same address, where Birnie showed her around, including the bedroom, before pinning her down and carrying out sex acts while she could not get up.

Birnie was additionally convicted of sexually assaulting a second woman in Shetland between 1 February and 24 August 2020. He was also found guilty of engaging in abusive behaviour towards this second victim during the same period. Throughout the trial, Birnie denied a string of charges, but the jury returned majority verdicts on three offences on Wednesday, 15 June 2022.

The trial judge, Lord Richardson, deferred sentence until next month to allow for the preparation of a background report. Birnie was remanded in custody and immediately placed on the sex offenders’ register. Detective Sergeant Bruce Peebles, responding to the conviction, emphasised the severity of Birnie's actions: 'The conviction of Birnie sends a clear message to anyone found guilty of sexual offences, you will be brought to justice. He befriended his vulnerable victims and I want to acknowledge their tremendous bravery, which has ultimately helped in this conviction. His actions will have had a long term effect on them and he must now face the consequences for his horrific behaviour.'

This case, reported by Shetland News on 15 June 2022, underscores the ongoing efforts to hold perpetrators of sexual violence accountable, particularly when targeting vulnerable individuals.