ROBERT FINLAY

GREENOCK man has been spared jail time after he forced his way into a woman’s home and sexually assaulted her.

Robert Finlay entered the woman’s property uninvited whilst she was covered in only a bath towel, before taking hold of her and forcibly kissing her face.

The 52-year-old was found guilty of the July 2022 offence following a trial at Greenock Sheriff Court in February.

Finlay was also convicted of stalking a second woman between February 2019 and May 2020.

During this period, he repeatedly approached her at her home and elsewhere, as well as making comments of a sexual nature to her.

Finlay denied any wrongdoing towards either woman, claiming that the first complainer had instead 'slammed' the door in his face after he made an 'offensive' comment.

Under questioning from both his defence solicitor, Cameron Murdoch, and fiscal depute Decla O'Connor, he was unable to recall the wording of this comment.

Sheriff Harry Small rejected Finlay's version of events - describing his explanation as 'unconvincing'.

The sheriff said: “Both of the complainers, he said, were lying without any reason or motive to do so.” At trial, the victim of Finlay’s sexual assault said she was left in ‘extreme shock’ after the incident.

The court was also shown a message sent to the woman from a Facebook account in Finlay’s name which stated: “I’m sorry for overstepping the line." Finlay, of Gateside Avenue, returned to court for sentencing this week, with social workers having prepared a background report in advance of the hearing.

He was handed a community payback order as an alternative to a custodial sentence.

Sheriff Harry Small placed him under the supervision of social workers for the next two years and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.

Following his conviction earlier this year, Finlay was placed on the sex offenders register.