Three sex pests appear at Falkirk court

Shameless David Cooper grabbed a 16-year-old girl’s bottom in the Asda store in Falkirk on August 16.

The 42-year-old from 6 Thornhill Road, Falkirk, had admitted the sexual assault at a previous court and had sentence deferred for background reports.

Defence lawyer Lynn Swan said: “He accepts his guilt, but can’t give an explanation for his behaviour in the supermarket that day.”

She urged a community-based disposal with unpaid work be imposed, telling the court: “That will bring it home to him that he can’t do what he did.”

Cooper was warned he was lucky not to be going to jail. Instead, Sheriff Derek Livington ordered him to pay £300 compensation to his victim at the rate of £10 a week. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for two years, made the subject of a supervised community order for the same period and told to complete 160 hours unpaid work in six months.

The sheriff told Cooper: “With some hesitation I’m not going to impose a custodial sentence. I accept you have no record for this and seems to have been out of character for you.”

At the same court Daniel Toal, 111 Glynwed Court, Bankside, was placed on a supervised order for three years, told to attend the Moving Forward Making Changes programme, complete 180 hours of unpaid work in nine months and placed on the sex offenders register for three years for intentionally exposing himself in front of a neighbour.

[A previous version of this article gave a former address for Toal. We would like to point out that he has no connection with the current occupants and no longer resides there]

The 57-year-old shocked the woman when he stayed at 169 Carmuirs Avenue last year by standing naked at his open front door and committing a sex act in front of her. His lawyer claimed Toal “could not believe” he had behaved in that way.

Sheriff Livingston told Toal: “There’s no doubt this behaviour caused the neighbour a great deal of distress. Rather than sending you to prison you and the public will benefit from you completing this programme.”

Jordan Bunce (20) was convicted of conducting himself in a disorderly manner by making sexually suggestive comments to two girls aged 14 and 15 at Old Redding Road, Laurieston, on May 26.

Bunce, from 115 Lomond Drive, Langlees, who also admitted failing to attend court on August 2, had sentence deferred until January 11 for psychiatric and psycological reports and bailed.