WILLIAM TIERNEY AND SHOCKING SEXUAL ASSAULT IN LANARKSHIRE

A man named William Tierney, aged 52, is facing potential imprisonment after being convicted of a serious sexual assault that took place in Lanarkshire. The incident occurred in the garden of a property located in Blantyre, where Tierney was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in a hot tub.

According to reports, the teenage victim repeatedly begged Tierney to release her during the assault. Despite her pleas, he proceeded to carry out a disturbing attack beneath the water’s surface. The girl, overwhelmed with fear and distress, managed to escape from the scene and later confided in her mother about what had transpired.

The revelation led to a confrontation between Tierney, a father of four, and the girl’s mother before authorities were contacted. Tierney, who resides in Blantyre, denied any wrongdoing throughout the investigation and subsequent trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court. He claimed that the incident was merely a water fight gone wrong, asserting, "I just lifted her up and was trying to find the bench bit of the hot tub where you sit to put my hand on. I thought she had left the hot tub because there was too much splashing, I had been a wee bit rough and was splashing the water constantly at her."

However, the jury took less than an hour to reach a verdict, finding Tierney guilty of the sexual assault in July of the previous year. During the trial, the girl’s mother, giving tearful testimony, described the lasting impact of the assault. She explained how her daughter, now 18, had been left deeply traumatized by the incident. The mother stated, "She was so scared and I asked her what was wrong. She was hysterical, crying uncontrollably and she was shaking and she told me Mr Tierney had assaulted her. What kind of a human being does that to a 17-year-old girl? I was numb and I was so upset and couldn't believe it had happened to her because she is my baby and I couldn't do anything to protect her."

Following the conviction, Sheriff Liam Murphy deferred sentencing Tierney until the following month and continued his bail. The sheriff emphasized the gravity of the offense, remarking, "You have been found guilty of a serious sexual offence. You should be aware that all sentencing options will be open to the court including a custodial sentence given the nature of the offence."

As part of the legal consequences, Tierney was ordered to register as a sex offender, reflecting the severity of his crime and the court’s stance on such offenses in Lanarkshire.