ALAN MITCHELL INVERNESS SEX OFFENDER SENTENCE AFTER FOLLOWING WOMEN AND SKIRT-LIFTING INCIDENTS
| Red Rose Database
Inverness Sexual Abuser
An incident involving a man from Inverness, Alan Mitchell, has resulted in a court ruling that emphasizes both punishment and rehabilitation. The 49-year-old appeared before Inverness Sheriff Court to face charges related to threatening and abusive behavior towards two women, aged in their 30s and 50s.
During the hearing, Sheriff Gary Aitken decided to defer sentencing to allow for a comprehensive background report to be prepared. Instead of opting for immediate imprisonment, the court ordered Mitchell to undertake 200 hours of unpaid community service. Furthermore, Mitchell was placed on the sex offenders register and will be under social work supervision for a period of three years. He is also required to participate in a sex offenders rehabilitation program as part of his sentence.
The sheriff underscored the gravity of the charges, stating, "These are very serious charges and either one of them alone could have justified a prison sentence. This has been at the forefront of my mind." He also acknowledged the personal struggles Mitchell has faced, remarking, "There seems to be some issues in your life which may have led to these offences. This is the time to deal with them to make sure this does not happen again."
Details of Mitchell’s troubled history reveal that he experienced significant personal loss, including the death of his brother in an accident on the A9 four years ago, followed by the passing of his mother just seven weeks later. His solicitor suggested that these traumatic events may have contributed to Mitchell’s mental health decline, with Mitchell himself believing he suffered a mental breakdown during this period.
The court heard about two separate incidents involving Mitchell’s inappropriate behavior towards women. The first occurred in January of this year, when Mitchell followed a woman into a street after she left Morrison’s supermarket. CCTV footage showed him touching her coat and lifting her skirt while mumbling, "That was nice." The second incident took place two months earlier, when he followed another woman into a car park, watched her walk to her vehicle, and then knocked on her car window, asking to speak with her. These incidents caused considerable distress to the victims, with one woman expressing feeling very wary in car parks and upset by similar sounds such as knocking.
Mitchell has expressed remorse for his actions and has apologized directly to the women involved. The court was told that he recognizes the seriousness of his conduct and is willing to undergo rehabilitation. The judge’s decision to impose a community-based sentence rather than immediate imprisonment was influenced by Mitchell’s personal circumstances and the hope that he can be helped to address underlying issues and prevent future offenses.
During the hearing, Sheriff Gary Aitken decided to defer sentencing to allow for a comprehensive background report to be prepared. Instead of opting for immediate imprisonment, the court ordered Mitchell to undertake 200 hours of unpaid community service. Furthermore, Mitchell was placed on the sex offenders register and will be under social work supervision for a period of three years. He is also required to participate in a sex offenders rehabilitation program as part of his sentence.
The sheriff underscored the gravity of the charges, stating, "These are very serious charges and either one of them alone could have justified a prison sentence. This has been at the forefront of my mind." He also acknowledged the personal struggles Mitchell has faced, remarking, "There seems to be some issues in your life which may have led to these offences. This is the time to deal with them to make sure this does not happen again."
Details of Mitchell’s troubled history reveal that he experienced significant personal loss, including the death of his brother in an accident on the A9 four years ago, followed by the passing of his mother just seven weeks later. His solicitor suggested that these traumatic events may have contributed to Mitchell’s mental health decline, with Mitchell himself believing he suffered a mental breakdown during this period.
The court heard about two separate incidents involving Mitchell’s inappropriate behavior towards women. The first occurred in January of this year, when Mitchell followed a woman into a street after she left Morrison’s supermarket. CCTV footage showed him touching her coat and lifting her skirt while mumbling, "That was nice." The second incident took place two months earlier, when he followed another woman into a car park, watched her walk to her vehicle, and then knocked on her car window, asking to speak with her. These incidents caused considerable distress to the victims, with one woman expressing feeling very wary in car parks and upset by similar sounds such as knocking.
Mitchell has expressed remorse for his actions and has apologized directly to the women involved. The court was told that he recognizes the seriousness of his conduct and is willing to undergo rehabilitation. The judge’s decision to impose a community-based sentence rather than immediate imprisonment was influenced by Mitchell’s personal circumstances and the hope that he can be helped to address underlying issues and prevent future offenses.