Latest Offenders Dundee

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A twisted catfish conman who duped four Dundee women into sending nude videos and images has been sentenced to register as a sex offender for five years.

Robi MacBain – a former soldier and convicted child abuser – stole an English man’s identity to create a bogus Facebook and Tinder persona.

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A Dundee man has admitted taking photos under women’s clothing on a train journey in Fife, at a plush Edinburgh hotel and at an insurance broker in the capital.

David Bathgate, 42, targeted one of his three victims while on a ScotRail train between Inverkeithing and Kirkcaldy on January 19 2023.

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A “high-risk” self-confessed paedophile from Dundee who victimised a girl on TikTok has been jailed “to bring home the seriousness” of his predatory offending.

Raheel Bajwa, 20, bombarded the girl with images and videos on apps like TikTok and Snapchat for more than a year from an address in Dundee.

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Calls have been made for changes to restrictions on sex offenders after a Dundee pensioner who tried to groom a girl online was spotted attending a children’s dance event.

James Yule was photographed attending a majorette event in Inverness in November.

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A violent rapist has been convicted of repeatedly attacking a woman in Dundee over a five-year period.

After a 13-day trial at The High Court in Dundee, Patryk Kulczynski was unanimously convicted by jurors of ten separate charges on Friday.

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A pensioner sexual predator who repeatedly abused young girls in Dundee has been jailed.

David Duncan, 77, targeted a child at sleepovers in Dundee, Angus and Spain and abused a four-year-old in a parked car outside a school.

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A rapist from Dundee has been told to expect a lengthy jail term after subjecting a former partner to months of violent terror.

Gary Ironside was convicted by a jury of leaving the woman permanently disfigured and sexually attacking her at addresses in the city in 2022.

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A Dundee paedophile was caught with a sick selfie taken while a child was nearby.

John Milne, 28, from Dundee, was caught with a sexually explicit selfie taken while a young child was nearby. Milne admitted to his sexual offenses in Dundee Sheriff Court and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register, with sentencing set for next month.

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Paul Armitt pled guilty to carrying out the attack on the woman on April 28 last year on Seagate.

The 43-year-old touched the woman’s back and seized her buttocks.

Armitt also admitted assaulting a police officer during the same incident.

He attacked PC Younis Yaqub by seizing his clothing, pushing him on the body and trying to drag him by the body onto the ground.

Armitt, of St Edmund Terrace, Dundee, has previous convictions for sexual offending and is now on the Register for the next two years.

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A Dundee creep caught with hundreds of child abuse images phoned the police and told them he had watched “bad things”.

Tommy Craig, 22, freely admitted to officers who later arrested him that he had downloaded the vile material.

A report has now been ordered and the Broughty Ferry Road man will learn his fate next month.

Hundreds of images

Prosecutor Lee Corr told Dundee Sheriff Court: “He contacted Police Scotland to say he was watching child pornography and using it as a coping mechanism.

“He openly stated to officers ‘I have watched bad things – child porn. It isn’t that bad, it’s like teenagers and that. I feel like I belong in a mental institute.’

“He provided a pass code for his phone to be searched.

Several hundred images were found during the search.

Unprompted confession

Craig pled guilty to downloading child abuse images between August 28 and December 23 2022.

According to defence solicitor Mike Short, Craig had been struggling to cope after what was described as a difficult upbringing.

Mr Short said: “He is a young man who knew there was a problem and sought assistance for it.

“He drew it to police attention and did nothing to try and hide it.”

Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence for the preparation of social work reports and Craig’s bail was continued.

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A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexual offences and assaults in the Dundee area over a 13 year period.

James Henderson was sentenced on Friday, 12 January, 2024 at the High Court in Edinburgh for offences, including assault and rape, committed against four women between 2008 and 2021.

He had previously been found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in November, 2023.

Henderson was sentenced to 14 years, followed by four years extended sentence supervision.

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A sex offender army veteran who recently dodged court after news of his crime made him “upset” sparked a police armed response after telling officers he had guns.

Ryan Byrne became agitated after police turned up at his door to serve a court warrant after he failed to appear in the dock to answer for the 2018 sexual assault he committed on a 19-year-old girl student.

Byrne told officers he “could not be arrested” because he had “live firearms” at his home on St Nicholas Place in Dundee on December 2 2020.

The sex offender’s chilling revelation sparked a major police response.

Weapons threat

Depute fiscal Douglas Thompson told Dundee Sheriff Court: “He has accumulated a large number of Airsoft guns since leaving the forces.

“Officers who were not familiar with the accused attended his home in respect of an apprehension warrant.

“The accused answered the door and kept it on a chain.

“He was immediately hostile, agitated and told officers he had PTSD.

“He said he had a medical condition and continued to act in an agitated state.

“Officers continued to try and keep him calm.

“They informed him he would be arrested.

“He responded by saying ‘I can’t be arrested, I have live firearms here. You should know that.’

“He then slammed the door on the officers.

“A firearms incident was declared and a cordon put in place.”

Forfeiture of guns opposed

Byrne eventually left the property and went into a marked police vehicle, the court was told.

Police entered the property and removed 21 airsoft rifles.

They were in good condition but are not considered firearms in Scots law.

Byrne admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner and causing a firearms incident and failing to appear in court.

The Crown moved for forfeiture of the weapons, which was opposed by defence solicitor Carolyn Leckie.

She said: “He and his wife say the weapons help in the management of his stress and PTSD.

“Some are collectors items and valuable and he would wish to retain them.”+

Sexual assault

Sheriff Alistair Carmichael deferred sentence until February 9, where the case will call alongside the continued deferred sentence relating to the sexual assault of a Dundee student.

Byrne sexually assaulted the teenager on Park Place, within the grounds of the university, on May 17 2018 after following her and grabbing her from behind.

After twice being spoken to – and dismissed – by officers, he walked into a police station and admitted his crime.

He admitted restraining her and trying to place his hands down the front of her trousers.

He was originally charged with intending to rape the student.

Previously the court heard the coverage of his trial and subsequent conviction had “affected his mental health” and he refused to appear to an earlier hearing.

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A Dundee man has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after admitting sending a picture of his private parts to a person he believed was only 12.

Charles Tippet, 50, was snared by a decoy account operated online by Shatter The Silence vigilante paedophile hunters.

On chat app Scout, he told what he thought was a 12-year-old girl named Amber his chat could get him in trouble.

He did not know how right he was because he was communicating with an online paedophile hunter.

Although the group’s “sting” was unsuccessful, Tippet has now admitted attempting to communicate indecently with a child.

He was released on bail and will be sentenced next month.

Chat turned vile

Fiscal depute Michael Robertson said Tippet opened the conversation with the decoy by saying: “Hi Amber, nice pic.”

He proceeded to say: “I think you’re very cute and sexy.”

At this stage, the decoy told Tippet she was 12, nearly 13.

Tippet replied: “I’m old enough to be your dad.

“I could get into heaps of trouble talking to you.”

Tippet repeatedly asked for her to send him pictures.

She sent a photo of a girl’s face with a filter, to which Tippet said: “Very sweet.”

He added: “Is that what you’re wearing to bed, Amber?”

Dundee man sent filthy picture

Tippet went on to ask for pictures from the girl without her top on.

After she sent an image of a pair of legs, Tippet asked for photos of “what’s up her shorts.”

Mr Robertson said: “The accused asked if she had seen a penis before and he would show her a real one.

“The accused said, if I show you my penis can I see under your shorts?”

The decoy replied: “It’s up to you if you want to show me.”

At this point, Tippet sent a naked photograph of his erect penis.

He told the decoy: “I just put my trust in you that you don’t show that to anyone or I’m in deep sh*t.”

Info passed to police

The group were unsuccessful in carrying out an online sting – generally a livestreamed confrontation with their target – so passed details of the chat to police.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, Tippet, 50, admitted trying to communicate indecently for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or for humiliating, alarming or distressing what he thought was a girl.

His chat took place on November 19 and 20 of 2021.

Sheriff George Way placed Tippet on the Register and deferred sentencing to December 22.

He said: “I’m going to obviously have to have reports here.”

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A 65-year-old Dundee man has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after he admitted molesting a woman at a Perth pub.

Alan Drysdale gave his victim an unwanted hug, grabbed her buttocks and stroked her thighs without her consent.

At the end of the evening, he struck her with his flat cap before walking away.

The woman, who cannot be named, reported Drysdale to police the following day.

He appeared in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted sexually assaulting his victim at the Bank Bar on South Methven Street on July 21.

He will be sentenced next month.

Unwanted hug

Fiscal depute Sam Craib said: “There is no indication that the complainer and the accused knew each other prior to this incident.”

The pair met at the bar just after 8pm.

“The complainer was approached by the accused and they engaged in conversation,” the prosecutor said.

“About 20 minutes later, the accused initiated a hug.

“He then placed both of his hands on her buttocks, over her clothing.”

Mr Craib said: “A short time later, they were sat together in another part of the premises

“The accused reached over and placed his hand on her thigh and began stroking it a number of times.

“They remained in conversation until about an hour later, when the accused stood up and struck the complainer on the arm with his flat cap.

“He then left the premises.”

Reported to police

Mr Craib told the court: “The complainer didn’t immediately report the incident but after reflecting on what occurred – and the fact she had not consented to the touching – she decided to go to the police in person.

“The accused was then cautioned and charged.”

Drysdale, of Craigowan Road, told police: “It wasn’t me.”

Sheriff Garry Sutherland deferred sentencing for background reports.

He told Drysdale: “Because of the nature of the charge, you will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register.

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A registered sex offender who piled a schoolgirl with alcohol and drugs before raping her has been jailed for life.

Lee McPherson repeatedly preyed on the 15-year-old girl who was also bombarded with sleazy text messages, a court heard.

McPherson, 44, was convicted in October last year after a trial in Livingston of two charges of raping the girl between November 2018 and January 2019. The attacks occurred at different addresses in Dundee including in the city's Caird Park.

Sentencing was adjourned a number of times after judge Lady Haldane called for a full risk assessment to be carried out on McPherson, who had previously breached a sexual harm order.

McPherson went on to finally appear in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow where the judge imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR). The rapist was told he must serve a minimum five years behind bars.

Lady Haldane said McPherson had continued to display 'deeply concerning attitudes' towards his young victim.

The judge said: 'You showed no insight in the consequences of your behaviour nor did you apparently see anything wrong in a man of your age behaving as you did towards a child.'

McPherson, also of Dundee, was warned he will not automatically be freed after five years. He will only be released once he is deemed safe to be put back on the streets.

Describing one attack, the young victim told jurors how she felt unwell after drinking and taking cannabis at a flat where McPherson and others were. She passed out, but awoke on one occasion to find McPherson on top of her. 

During the other incident, she described lying 'frozen and staring at the wall' as she was preyed upon.

McPherson was further found guilty of sending the girl and another teenager messages of a sexual nature, which he claimed were 'stupid jokes'.

The sentencing hearing was told McPherson continues to protest his innocence.