Mother assaulted by man she reached out to during lockdown

Barrie Cameron plagued woman for nearly six months

A kind mother who reached out to her neighbour during lockdown was later stalked by him and then sexually assaulted.

Barrie Cameron plagued the woman for nearly six months before brawling with police who came to arrest him.

Cameron, 42, has been placed on the sex offenders register after he admitted stalking the 28-year-old woman between March 1 and August 14.

Perth Sheriff Court was told the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left distressed and anxious as a result of Cameron’s unwanted attention.

Depute fiscal Tina Dickie said the victim lived close to Cameron, although they had not spoken much before the pandemic.

“In March, around the lockdown period, she reached out to him because he was living alone.

“One evening they found him at the door and he wanted to come in.

“He came into the living room and sat on the sofa next to her and hugged her very tightly.

“She was left feeling alarmed with his strange behaviour.”

Mrs Dickie said on another occasion Cameron was leering at the woman while she rocked her baby and sang a nursery rhyme to him.

He made a lewd comment and left. On another occasion he arrived to give her beer and his conversation “became strange and began to alarm her”, turning to sexual matters.

The victim was on a night out in July when she ran into Cameron in the street and tried to brush him off.

She tried to walk away but he called her “babe” and followed her before getting close enough to slap her on the bottom.

Cameron said “sorry” but she felt he was finding the situation amusing.

Cameron, from Perth, admitted stalking the woman for more than five months and sexually assaulting her in the city on July 25 by striking her buttocks. He also admitted struggling violently with police on August 14.

Mrs Dickie told the court Cameron tried to break free from the two police officers who arrested him and eventually had to be restrained in rigid cuffs.

Solicitor Ian Myles, defending, said: “He understands his behaviour has been totally unacceptable. He was drinking to excess. He wishes to move away and leave the lady alone.”

Sheriff Pino di Emidio deferred sentence for reports and will consider the Crown’s request for a non-harassment order when the case calls again next month.

“She was left feeling alarmed with his strange behaviour. TINA DICKIE