The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Man in court charged with raping teenager
36-year-old accused of assaulting woman in car park near Verdant Works has been remanded in custody
A 36-year-old man has appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court charged with raping a teenager in a car park.
Mark Harrison Arnott made no plea when he appeared before Sheriff Kevin Veal yesterday afternoon on one charge of rape.
The alleged crime was said to have been committed in a private car park opposite the Verdant Works museum, which is surrounded by a number of local businesses, on West Henderson’s Wynd on the evening of November 23.
Arnott, whose address was given as of no fixed abode, was arrested in connection with the alleged attack on Sunday evening, following a manhunt that began on Thursday night.
He appeared in private before Sheriff Veal, having spent two-and-a-half days in a cell in Bell Street police station, the headquarters of Tayside division Police Scotland.
It is alleged Arnott approached a woman from behind and threatened to stab her with a knife.
The charge states that he repeatedly demanded she remove her clothes, restrained her against her will and pushed her to the ground.
Arnott is accused of assaulting the woman by grabbing her by the body and raping her in a private car park just after 8.15pm on Thursday.
Defence solicitor Jim Laverty made no motion for bail and Arnott’s case was continued for further examination.
The accused was remanded in custody.
A huge police presence was spotted in the West End area following the alleged attack on Thursday night.
A taped cordon was set up during the police investigation, with forensics officers spotted scouring the cobbled streets that wind between the Verdant Works museum and a number of private businesses.
Police told nearby residents, many of whom are university students, to remain indoors while they carried out investigations.
Cars and people were stopped from travelling from the private student accommodation on Horsewater Wynd through to Guthrie Street, as well as West Henderson’s Wynd and Anchor Lane.
Both Abertay and Dundee universities said they were supporting any students who had concerns regarding their personal safety in the wake of the incident.
Arnott will appear before the court again in the next eight days.