HAWICK MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED RAPE ACCEPTS PLEA DEAL OF ASSAULT
A Hawick man who admitted attacking a woman has been given a three-year community payback order.Graeme Cook was initially charged with carrying out an assault with intent to rape her at a house in the Borders on January 6, and was to face a trial by jury.
However, following negotiations between the Crown and his defence lawyer, Cook pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of assaulting the woman by biting her on the head and body at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday.
Sheriff Kevin Drummond accepted the charge had been significantly reduced and made it a condition of the order that Cook attends the Caledonian Men's Programme.