Man pleads guilty to sexual assault against girl in Oban

A 20-YEAR-OLD man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Oban town centre.

Marcell Grigoreanu, of 1362 London Road, Glasgow, made the guilty plea when he appeared in Oban Sheriff Court on Monday November 20.

Procurator fiscal Eoin McGinty told the court that Grigoreanu was in a friend’s car on November 12 of this year at around midnight. He said they pulled up at the station where two girls were situated.

‘The [victim’s] friend was spoken to by one the males, who asked for her number,’ Mr Ginty said. ‘She replied that she did not have one and would not give it to him if she did.

‘[Grigoreanu] reached out the rear window of the car and in a movement pushed [the victim] on the hip in a fashion that swung her around and then at that point grabbed her on the buttocks.

‘[The victim] was asked to get into the car and refused, at which point [Grigoreanu] reached out again and seized her by her upper clothing. ‘She broke free and immediately ran away.’ The police subsequently came across the victim and her friend. ‘[The victim] was noted to be sobbing uncontrollably,’ Mr Ginty added.

‘After being calmed down and spoken to by police, she indicated that she had been indecently assaulted, in her words.’

The police then watched the CCTV footage of the area could ‘clearly see he had touched her not once, but twice on her buttocks’.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes deferred sentencing for criminal justice social work reports to be obtained.

Grigoreanu will reappear in Oban Sheriff Court on January 3, when his plea of mitigation will take place.