A pub pervert has been sent to prison after a sheriff slammed him for being “at it” over his explanation for the sordid Angus offence.
Mitica Busaku coerced a woman in Arbroath’s Anchor Bar into watching a pornographic video before asking her to engage in a sex act with him in an incident last June.
The 49-year-old Romanian had been due to be sentenced at Forfar Sheriff Court, but was heavily criticised by Sheriff Gregor Murray for the version of events he had given to social workers preparing a criminal justice report in the case.
Defence solicitor Angela McLardy said the assessment prepared by social workers had suggested first offender Busaku did not meet the criteria for the Tay Project for sex offenders, and that the language barrier might present problems in his participation in the scheme.
Sheriff Murray said the accused’s explanation of the offence was “completely at odds” with his guilty plea.
“I don’t think he has any comprehension of the difficulty he is in, or alternatively, and for want of a better phrase, he is at it,” said the sheriff.
Through an interpreter, Sheriff Murray told the accused: “I accept that as someone for whom English is not your first language, there is always scope for some difficulties when your views are translated.
“However, you tendered a plea of guilty to a charge that on the evening in question you coerced a lady into looking at sexual images for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, or for humiliating, distressing or alarming that lady by showing her a pornographic video and asking them to engage in a sexual act with you.
“The explanations you have given are entirely inconsistent with you pleading guilty and I cannot send you to jail on the basis of the reports before me.
“I do not know at this stage if there is an alternative to custody,” the sheriff added.
“I think you have wilfully failed to co-operate with the authorities and I am going to defer sentence to get new reports to bring home to you the extent of your stupidity.
“Because I am not satisfied that there is any other way to get an accurate response from you, you will be remanded in custody.”
Busaku will be sentenced on March 28.
