July 2013 Anthony McNicol jailed for following young girls in car A leisure attendant has been jailed for 18 months after being convicted of following schoolgirls in his car. Anthony McNicol, 29, targeted five girls in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, between January and June 2011. He denied the charges and lodged special defences of alibis but a jury convicted him of behaving in a way that scared the girls. At Glasgow Sheriff Court, McNicol was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. The court heard from the five girls – who cannot be named for legal reasons – who said they had been “scared” and “uncomfortable”. Girls followed Two girls, ages 13 and 14, saw McNicol in March 2011, and again in June, sitting in his car staring at them. He slowly drove past them and followed them, but did not said anything to them. One of the girls took a note of McNicol’s car registration and reported the matter. Another girl was on her own when she saw McNicol after school one day in June. McNicol called the 14-year-old “gorgeous” and asked her for her number. The girl called her mother in tears a week later after seeing him again and it was reported to the police. Two more girls, who were 12 and 13, were spoken to by the 29-year-old on a separate occasion in June. The court heard how he called them “gorgeous” and asked if they wanted a lift. One of them noted part of McNicol’s registration plate and a description of the car and reported the matter to police. Defence lawyer Philip McWilliams told the court McNicol “understands he needs to accept the consequences of this conviction”. He said that while on bail and after being convicted, McNicol, from Rutherglen, continued working at Scotstoun leisure centre in Glasgow carrying out administrative work. June 2013 Rutherglen man faces jail after following school girls in his car A perverted leisure attendant from Rutherglen could be facing jail after following schoolgirls in his car. Anthony McNicol (29), terrified five girls in Rutherglen over a six-month period by calling some of them gorgeous, staring at them from his car and offering them a lift. He denied the charges and lodged special defences of alibis, claiming that on the different occasions he was at work or with other people. But, the jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court rejected the version McNicol, of Edinbeg Avenue, gave and convicted him of three offences of behaving in a way that scared the girls, between January and June 2011. The court heard from the five girls – who cannot be named for legal reasons – who said they had been “scared” and “uncomfortable”. Two girls, aged 13 and 14, saw McNicol in March that year, and again in June, sitting in his car staring at them. He slowly drove past them and followed them, but never said anything to them. One of the girls took a note of McNicol’s car registration and reported the matter. Another girl was on her own when she saw McNicol after school one day in June. McNicol, who worked at Scotstoun Leisure Centre, called the 14-year-old “gorgeous” and asked her for her number. The girl called her mum in tears a week later after seeing him again and it was reported to the police. Two more girls, who were 12 and 13, were spoken to by the McNicol on a separate occasion in June. He called them “gorgeous” and asked if they wanted a lift from him. One of them noted part of McNicol’s registration plate and a description of the car and reported him to the police. Sheriff Sam Cathcart deferred the case for reports and continued bail. McNicol was also put on the sex offenders’ register. A mother of one of the girls spoke to the Reformer following the conviction. She said: “I’m obviously not very happy he’s out on bail, he’s on the sex offenders register after all. “But I’m glad he’s been found guilty.”