Man hid in woman's house before subjecting her to sex attack after she rejected his advances jailed

A sex attacker who hid in a house before launching a sustained assault on a woman has been jailed for two years and three months.

Liam Gray subjected his frightened victim to the ordeal in her own home after she earlier rejected advances he made towards her.

A judge told Gray, 28, at the High Court in Edinburgh: “I am satisfied only a prison sentence is appropriate on this occasion.”

Lord Harrower made a non harassment order prohibiting Gray from contacting or attempting to contact the woman for an indefinite period.

The judge said that when the woman was asked how the offence had affected her she replied: “Badly”.

Gray, formerly of Dundee, was earlier convicted of carrying out the sexual assault in his home city on March 18 in 2021 following a trial, but was acquitted of an allegation that he raped the woman.

He repeatedly sent text messages to her containing sexual remarks but she turned down his advances. She heard the front door open and close and he sent her further messages indicating he had left, but did not. He hid within the property before entering her bedroom.

Gray exposed himself and repeatedly kissed her and demanded she perform a sex act on him. He seized the woman, dragged and pulled her and threw her onto a bed and forced her to touch him.

Defence counsel Drew McKenzie told the court that Gray suffered adverse experiences as a child and was placed in foster care.

He said the majority of his previous occasion occurred when he was aged between 19 and 21.

He said: “Alcohol appears to have been a problem in the past and was related to offending behaviour but he tells a social worker he now barely drinks.”

Gray was told he will be on the sex offenders’ register for ten years following his sentencing.