July 2014
Easter Ross youth on Sex Offenders Register for having sex with under-age girls
AN Easter Ross youth was sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court today to 12 months in a young offenders institution for having sex with two underage girls.
Alexander Mitchell, who is now 20, was 19 years of age at the time of the offences involving girls aged 14 and 15.
His solicitor Aileen Macinnes asked Sheriff David Sutherland to deal with the case by means of a community based sentence rather than custody.
But Sheriff Sutherland told Mitchell, formerly of Balintore but whose new address was given in court as Harbour View, Invergordon, they were serious offences.
“Young girls ought to be protected. I don’t consider that I can deal with this case other than by a custodial sentence.”
Sentence had been deferred for criminal justice social work reports.
Mitchell previously admitted having unlawful sex with the 14 year-old at an address in Milton between May 1 and June 1 last year, and the 15 year-old in a lane beside Alness Parish Church on May 4, 2013.
Depute fiscal Roderick Urquhart told the court previously the incident involving the 14 year-old followed a gathering of a group of youths who had gone to a house in Milton and played DVDs. About 10pm some of the youngsters moved upstairs to a bedroom and Mitchell went into another bedroom with the 14 year-old, where they had sex on a sofa bed.
The following morning depute fiscal Roderick Urquhart Mitchell told the girl’s friend that the 14 year-old was ”not a virgin any more”. The 14 year-old also told her friend in the kitchen she had sex with Mitchell.
Friends advised her that Mitchell had a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and told her to get checked out. Eventually social workers and the police were informed.
Mr Urquhart said the incident involving the 15-year-old followed a party which had been raided by police because of under-age drinking. Youths left the house and the 15-year-old and Mitchell were with two other youngsters.
Mr Urquhart said this girl was six weeks short of her 16th birthday.
Mitchell and the girl were seen kissing by their friends who left to go to a bus stop near the church.
Mitchell then had sex with the girl before joining the others.
At her home the 15-year-old told a girl she had sex with Mitchell. He later denied having sex with both girls when interviewed by police.
Ms Macinnes said today that both offences occurred while he was under the influence of alcohol.
“There is no suggestion he thought out what he was going to do and he merely acted in a situation due to his consumption of alcohol.”
She added that the 20-year-old had no significant record of offending and had “‘showed a degree of immaturity”.
Mitchell was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
