Court / Unpaid work for Yell man who admitted sexual assault

A MAN from Yell who sexually assaulted a passenger on board the Aberdeen ferry avoided a jail sentence and has instead been put under supervision and told to carry out unpaid work.

Andrew McNab, of Mid Yell, was also put on the sex offenders’ register for two years.

The 62-year-old had previously admitted assaulting the 17-year old fellow passenger by laying on top of him, repeatedly touching and stroking his back and legs without consent, and placing his head on his legs.

The offence took place on the overnight ferry from Lerwick to Aberdeen in the early hours of 2 August last year.

In court on Wednesday, defence solicitor Tommy Allan said his client takes full responsibility for the incident and pointed out that he had been classed as ‘low risk’ in a criminal justice social work report.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank imposed a community payback order as an alternative to a custodial sentence, which includes a two-year period of supervision and the requirement to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work.