Dunfermline town centre incident: Woman dragged into toilets of pub by man she just met

John Middleton, from Aberdeen, then caused a disturbance at the woman’s home.

He had travelled for a drinking session in Dunfermline because a court had banned him from consuming alcohol in Aberdeen.

Middleton, 22, has now been jailed for the offences. He had been given a community-based sentence originally but breached his restriction of liberty order.

Middleton went on trial previously at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He was found guilty of a charge that on May 18 last year, at the Old Inn, Kirkgate, he assaulted a woman by seizing her by the arms and forcibly pulling her into an area containing toilets.

The jury delivered a ‘not proven’ verdict on a charge that he sexually assaulted the woman in her home.

Middleton admitted a third charge that on May 18, at her house in Dunfermline and at Dunfermline police station, he repeatedly shouted, swore, made threats of violence towards the woman and police officers and made racist and abusive remarks repeatedly.

Middleton appeared for re-sentencing via a video link from prison in Aberdeen, where he is currently serving a term for another matter.

Middleton was on an ASBO as a result of anti-social behaviour. There were strict conditions on the orders imposed in Aberdeen banning him from consuming alcohol.

Middleton decided to travel out of Aberdeen to Dunfermline for a drinking session when the offences took place.

The pub incident was caught on CCTV and appeared to show both Middleton and the woman were heavily intoxicated.

The two of them later went to the woman’s home where it was alleged that he sexually assaulted her.

When police were called, he made threats to the woman and the officers who attended.

Sheriff Charles MacNair had originally imposed a community payback order with two years’ supervision and a six-month restriction of liberty order.

That sentence was revoked and Middleton was jailed for six months to run consecutively to his current prison term.