MARTIN PARISH SHOCKS GLENROTHES WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT AT FIFE BUTCHERS

A disturbing incident of sexual assault has come to light involving Martin Parish, a 41-year-old butcher from Glenrothes, who committed a serious offence at his workplace located within the Kingdom Centre. The court proceedings revealed that Parish engaged in inappropriate and non-consensual physical contact with a young woman working at Fife Butchers, an establishment well-known in the town.

According to the prosecution, during the incident, Parish deliberately pressed himself against the victim, rubbing his clothed genitals against her bottom while she was bent over, possibly attending to her duties. The court heard that the young woman, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, was visibly distressed and froze in fear during the assault. Despite her pleas for him to stop, Parish continued his inappropriate behavior, showing a blatant disregard for her boundaries.

Procurator fiscal depute Rachel Hill provided details of the case, stating, “The accused was asked to stop but he did not and she froze in fear.” She further recounted Parish’s disturbing comment after the assault, where he reportedly said, “well that was nice,” a remark that added to the victim’s sense of violation and trauma.

In court, the victim described feeling “totally violated” following the incident, emphasizing the emotional and psychological impact it had on her. Parish, who resides on School Drive in Glenrothes, appeared before Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to face sentencing after previously admitting guilt to the charges. He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the young woman during an incident in August of the previous year, specifically for pressing himself against her and rubbing his genitals against her clothed bottom.

During the hearing, Parish’s defense lawyer, Paul Anderson, characterized the incident as an “isolated incident,” asserting that Parish is a skilled master butcher who has been highly regarded by the shop owners. The lawyer also highlighted that Parish’s life has taken a downturn since the event, noting that he has lost his employment as a result. Anderson added, “He is struggling and he is a man with a great deal of issues, perhaps unresolved issues from his past.”

In delivering his sentence, Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith emphasized that it was important to recognize that both Parish and the victim were fully clothed during the incident. The sheriff also pointed out that Parish has no prior criminal convictions and there was no evidence to suggest he has a predilection for young girls. Ultimately, Parish was sentenced to 12 months of offender supervision and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for the same duration, marking a significant legal response to his actions in Glenrothes.