A ROSYTH man who sexually assaulted a 16-year-old boy by groping his private parts in his garden has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning in the back garden of Brian Simpkins, who had been joined by the boy and his dad on a summer’s night.

When the father left, Simpkins grabbed the youth’s penis and testicles.

The youth responded by punching Simpkins several times before running home and telling his parents what had happened.

Brian Simpkins, 51, of Parkside Street, was previously found guilty after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court and returned for sentencing.

He was convicted of a charge that on June 9, at his home in Parkside Street, he sexually assaulted a boy, then aged 16, by touching him on the body and seizing him by the penis and testicles.

The boy told the court Simpkins had placed his hand on his leg, pushed up his shorts then touched his private parts.

He said he had been so shocked by Simpkins’ action that he punched him two or three times, then left.

Simpkins told the court his version of events. He said he was having a drink in his back garden on a summer’s night and was joined there by the boy and his dad.

After the dad had left, Simpkins said he had a chat with the boy, talking to him about apprenticeships and giving him one of his cigars.

By this time, it was about 4am, and Simpkins said that when the boy started feeling cold, he asked him to move over and sit beside him.

“There was some cigar debris on his shorts and legs and I wiped it off,” said the witness.

He claimed nothing was said about this by the boy, who continued to chat until leaving about 10 minutes later.

Simpkins said he had then gone for a walk in the park behind his home and was attacked by the boy’s dad.

Simpkins, a production manager at Rosyth Dockyard, said his wife had gone to work at about four in the morning, before he was assaulted.

Simpkins claimed in court he had not reported this assault to the police because he was “too scared”.

However, depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said to him: “You’ve concocted this story because you felt him up. You saw your opportunity to have a quick grope. You thought you could get away with it.”

She added: “This story you’ve concocted is almost laughable. You’ve told nothing but lies in court.”

At sentencing, Sheriff Charles MacNair told Simpkins: “The complainer came around that evening and after others had left you took advantage of him.

“I don’t know why you did it and it seems to be out of character. However, it’s a serious offence.”

He imposed a community payback order with the maximum amount of unpaid work – 300 hours – and three years’ supervision.

Simpkins has also been placed on the sex offenders’ register.