Assistant boss preyedonstore colleagues

St Andrews man guilty of sexually assaulting fellow workers at various high street shops

An assistant store manager is facing a possible prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting five female colleagues whilst working at well-known high street shopping chains.

Andrew Docherty, 28, targeted the females, who cannot be named for legal reasons, whilst working at various branches of Home Bargains in Fife.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Docherty also placed another two women in a state of fear and alarm during a course of criminal conduct which took place between 2007 and 2015.

The court heard that while working for the Morrisons supermarket chain in Fife, Docherty followed one 26-year-old female worker around a store. He then prevented her from leaving the shop.

On another occasion, whilst working at Home Bargains, he uttered derogatory remarks towards a woman who was left alarmed by what she had heard.

Yesterday, a jury returned from two days of deliberation and returned guilty verdicts to five charges of sexual assault and guilty to two charges of breach of the peace.

Docherty, of Hay Fleming Avenue, St Andrews, originally faced a total of 18 charges which included allegations of rape, assault with intent to rape, sexual assault and breach of the peace.

However, prosecutors dropped a number of charges during proceedings and the jury returned verdicts of not proven and not guilty to six charges.

Judge Lord Malcolm deferred sentence on the first offender for the court to obtain reports about his character.

During proceedings, Docherty denied any wrong doing. He lodged special defences which stated that any sexual activity was consensual.

Docherty will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on October 5.

A jury found Andrew Docherty guilty of seven charges.