DEAN MCKENZIE FROM ABERDEEN CITY ESCAPES SERIOUS CHARGES AFTER COURT HEARING
A man named Dean McKenzie, who had been embroiled in a series of disturbing allegations involving both a young woman and a schoolgirl, has been formally admonished by the court after a lengthy legal process.McKenzie, aged 24, had previously spent several months in custody while awaiting trial on serious charges, including accusations of rape and multiple sexual assaults.
Earlier this week, the High Court in Aberdeen City delivered a verdict that cleared McKenzie of the most severe allegations he faced.
The court proceedings revealed that he was accused of raping a girl aged between 13 and 15 years old.
Additionally, he was charged with multiple counts of raping a young woman he met through the popular dating website Plenty of Fish.
Prosecutors had alleged that McKenzie used various objects, such as ice, paint rollers, and hairbrushes, to carry out these sexual assaults.
Furthermore, McKenzie was accused of committing a series of violent attacks on both women, involving the use of saws, knives, and cigarettes.
These allegations painted a picture of a man involved in both sexual violence and physical brutality.
However, during the trial, after the first complainant provided her testimony earlier this week, the advocate depute decided to drop all sexual offence charges against McKenzie.
Instead, he pleaded guilty to two reduced charges of assault, one involving each of the women.
In a related trial, McKenzie’s mother, Annette Ross, aged 48, was also accused of involvement in assaults and abduction of the same complainants.
The court proceedings against her concluded on Wednesday, with all charges against her being dropped, allowing her to walk free from the court.
As part of his plea, McKenzie admitted to assaulting a teenage girl on two separate occasions.
The assaults involved punching and kicking her, causing injuries.
One of these incidents took place at his mother’s residence, located at 15 Greenburn Drive in Aberdeen, while the other occurred at the Thainstone Centre in Inverurie.
Additionally, he admitted to assaulting the other female by grabbing her and then punching and kicking her on the head and body.
These assaults are believed to have taken place between February and April of 2013.
During the sentencing hearing, senior counsel Brian McConnachie, QC, spoke on behalf of McKenzie, describing him as “not very bright” and “extremely immature” at the time of the offences.
He highlighted that McKenzie had been held in custody for over seven months while awaiting trial on what he termed “very serious offences,” which could have resulted in a sentence of approximately 14 months.
Mr.
McConnachie urged the court, specifically addressing Lord Burns, to consider a lenient approach, noting that the charges now admitted were of a lesser nature typically dealt with at a summary level.
He requested that the court impose a sentence that would allow McKenzie to walk free, emphasizing his client’s time already served.
In response, Lord Burns acknowledged the time McKenzie had already spent in custody and the gravity of the initial allegations.
Ultimately, he chose to admonish McKenzie on both charges, taking into account his previous detention and the serious nature of the accusations, but stopping short of imposing a custodial sentence.
