Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Two sex offenders met at bus station
A FIFE man could face another jail term after being caught in the company of a fellow convicted sex offender in St Andrews.
James Haggerty admitted breaching the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) by being with Dundee paedophile Adam Fraser at St Andrews bus station.
The bizarre incident saw Haggerty claim Fraser had been following him to the bus station.
However, police reviewed CCTV footage and saw the pair and a woman leave a car before spending time together in the terminal.
Haggerty, originally of Kennoway, was placed on the SOPO in 2020 at Perth Sheriff Court.
The 25-year-old has breached the order – designed to protect the public from further sexual offending – on several occasions.
In 2023, Haggerty was involved in a siege with police in Fife.
He pled guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to the most recent offences, with reports ordered ahead of sentencing.
Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said Haggerty had contacted the police himself to accuse Fraser – who has served jail terms for sex offences – of following him.
“CCTV footage showed a grey Nissan Qashqai at the bus station,” Ms Ritchie told the court. “An adult female left the front passenger seat and entered the building.
“The accused exited the back passenger seat and went into the terminal.
“He remained there for about nine minutes.
“For unknown reasons, he contacts the police to make the allegations.
“Adam Fraser exits the driver’s side.
“Adam Fraser and the accused are in the terminal building engaged in conversation.
“The accused makes no efforts to leave and does not look distressed.”
Haggerty later walked off in the direction of St Andrews town centre and police caught up with him and arrested him in connection with the SOPO breach.
It transpired Haggerty was also in possession of a mobile phone without the knowledge of his supervising officers.
Haggerty, on remand at HMP Perth, pled guilty to breaching the order on February 1 this year at St Andrews bus station by associating with Adam Fraser, a known sex offender, and possessing a mobile phone without permission on February 2 at Dunfermline Police Station.
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence until June for reports to be prepared.
Haggerty will remain in custody in the meantime.