A man from the Western Isles has been sentenced to over four years in prison for sexually assaulting a female field monitoring officer who was attempting to fit him with an electronic tag as part of a restraining order.
Patrick Nolan, 39, carried out the assault at his home after the device he was already wearing malfunctioned. The victim, employed by a security firm, arrived at Nolan's address to replace the faulty tag. Nolan, who had been drinking, allowed her to complete the task but as she prepared to leave, he fetched a knife from the kitchen and demanded she remove her clothes. When she resisted, he grabbed at her clothing, resulting in a minor laceration to her hand during the struggle.
Thanks to the woman's quick thinking and calm demeanour, she managed to de-escalate the situation by speaking to Nolan professionally, enabling her to leave the property and immediately contact the police. Nolan later pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault at the High Court in Edinburgh on 9 October.
During sentencing on Monday at the same court, Judge Lady Ross highlighted the severity of the offence, noting that the victim was performing an essential duty within the criminal justice system. 'Just as she was about to leave you went to the kitchen and returned with a knife, and told her to take her clothes off, and then assaulted her,' the judge stated. She praised the victim's professionalism, quick thinking, and resilience, adding, 'It is only thanks to her professionalism, her quick thinking and her resilience that the situation was not worse.'
Judge Ross emphasised that assaults, particularly sexual ones, against individuals in the course of their employment are grave matters. Nolan, with more than 30 prior convictions including theft and road traffic offences, was deemed to pose a risk of harm to the public, necessitating an extended sentence. He received a total of six years and six months' imprisonment, comprising a custodial term of four years and six months, followed by an extension period. Additionally, Nolan was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and subjected to an indefinite non-harassment order.
Nolan's defence advocate, Shahid Latif, informed the court that his client expressed remorse and wished to apologise to the victim, acknowledging that 'no-one should have to go through what happened that day.' The victim had reportedly described Nolan as 'absolutely pathetic' in the Crown narrative, a sentiment Latif agreed reflected Nolan's actions. Nolan, appearing via videolink from prison in a pale grey sweater, displayed no visible reaction to the sentence.
This case, reported by the PA News Agency and published in the Andover Advertiser, underscores the dangers faced by those enforcing restraining orders and the judiciary's firm stance on sexual offences against public servants.