Oban High School teacher guilty of sexual assault

AN OBAN High School chemistry teacher has been found guilty of sexual assault after touching a former pupil inappropriately in an Oban shop.

Henry Boyd Sigerson, 41, who is currently suspended, has been placed on the sex offenders’ register while he awaits sentencing.

Sigerson appeared at Oban Sheriff Court on Monday (May 22) and pleaded guilty.

Procurator fiscal Eoin McGinty told the court that on March 4 at 10.30pm an 18-yearold woman was walking home through Albany Street car park and along Shore Street, Oban, when she noticed a man walking in the opposite direction.

However, when she crossed the road, Sigerson doubled back and began to walk towards her. The 18-year- old then walked into a shop while Sigerson remained outside.

Mr McGinty revealed that the woman said in her statement to the police that upon choosing her items, she lingered in the shop longer than she would normally have because he was waiting outside. Mr McGinty said: ‘After she was in the shop for a period, the man entered. He went to the right and appeared to look at the top shelf magazines. As he did, she went to pay for her items.

‘It’s apparent from the CCTV the accused was watching her.

‘As soon as she went to pay for her items the accused came up behind her and deliberately touched her on her bottom.’

The procurator fiscal added: ‘She said that she could feel him breathing on the back of her neck.’ Mr McGinty said that in her statement, she said she felt panicked and looked at the woman behind the till who gave her a look as if to say, ‘I saw what happened’. The woman then left the shop as soon as possible, but instead of walking her normal route home, she walked back towards the Oban Station Square and phoned to be picked up.

She reported the incident the following day and police officers retrieved the CCTV footage from the shop and Sigerson was identified immediately by one of the officers. He was detained later that day.

Sigerson’s solicitor, Kevin McGinness, informed the court that his client is a married man but has recently separated from his wife.

On the day of the incident he had been drinking since the afternoon.

Sentencing has been deferred until June 20 for social work reports and Sigerson has been placed on the sex offenders’ register.