TEENAGER CONVICTED OF BIZARRE SEXUAL ASSAULT IN MACDUFF
A young man named Alfie Sargent, aged 19, has been spared jail after being convicted of a "bizarre" sexual assault that occurred when he was 17.He carried out several assaults at a residence in Macduff during December 2022.
Sargent stood trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in January of 2025 and was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman, though a charge of sexual acts in the presence of another female was not proven.
Court documents reveal that Sargent assaulted and sexually assaulted the victim by biting her on multiple parts of her body, including her leg, neck, arms, breasts, and buttocks for extended periods.
He refused to release his bite hold and used force to restrain her, even seizing her by the throat.
Additionally, he forced her legs apart and touched her with his hands, resulting in injury.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan described it as a “serious sexual offence” involving some “quite bizarre behaviour,” noting that it did involve penetration but it was unclear how often.
The sheriff stated, “If you had not been under the age of 25, I would have had no hesitation in imposing a custodial sentence,” but since he was 19, sentencing guidelines for young people were referenced.
Sargent's defense lawyer mentioned that her client still denies the offense and is living with his parents, expecting a second child in July.
A psychological background report concluded Sargent did not pose a high risk of harm to the public and suggested he would benefit from programmatic work.
Sheriff Buchanan sentenced Sargent to a community payback order requiring 250 hours of unpaid work over 12 months, supervised for two years, and ordered him to take part in rehabilitative programs.
Additionally, Sargent was placed on the Sex Offenders Register, and his address was listed as Forrester Park Drive, Edinburgh, although he is under jurisdiction of Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
