Taxi Driver Online

Just as well councillors gave the two licensed premises mentioned here an extra hour's opening after lockdown. When consuming alcohol was a huge danger, supposedly

(And although the female here came out of the students' union, she might well have come out of the other place mentioned. If she'd come round the corner to the taxi rank, I'd have guessed it was a toss up between which of the two she'd been in, depending on the night of the week - literally, because some nights the students are all at the students' union, but other nights across the road in the Vic )


Ski instructor caught sexually assaulting drunk woman in St Andrews street

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/co ... ws-street/

Fraser Baggaley, who claims he cannot remember his sexual assault, was confronted by bouncers.

A ski instructor took advantage of a woman’s drunken state to sexually assault her in the street in St Andrews.

Fraser Baggaley, 21, was captured on CCTV indecently touching his former friend at St Marys Place, near several pubs and clubs.

At one stage, Baggaley had carried the woman – who could barely stand or walk – out of the Fife town‘s student union.

He is now on the sex offenders register and awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to sexual assault on October 3 2024.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Baggaley’s victim had no memory of the attack, which was witnessed by bouncers.

Baggaley was confronted by one staff member and claimed he was concerned about the woman.

The worker replied: “If you were that concerned you wouldn’t have put your hand down her pants.”

Bouncers questioned offender

Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said Baggaley and the woman were known to each other but not in a relationship at the time.

A safety officer at the student union saw Baggaley carrying her and stopped him to make sure she was safe.

Baggaley had repeatedly tried to answer for her but the worker managed to obtain answers from the woman directly.

She left the woman after trying to assist her across the road.

However, Baggaley’s behaviour captured the attention of two bouncers outside The Vic pub.

Ms Ritchie said: “The complainer was very drunk and they went to check on them to make sure they knew each other.

“They saw the complainer had her back to the accused and the accused had his hand down her trousers.

“One of the security officers went over to put a stop to what was happening and did not believe the complainer was able to consent to what was happening to her.”

Baggaley was described as being drunk but not to the extent the woman was.

No memory

Two females leaving The Vic ended up sharing a taxi with the victim, helping her to her flat and putting her in the recovery position in her bed.

Police were contacted due to multiple concerns from witnesses and officers later found evidence she had vomited in her bed.

Ms Ritchie said: “She had no memory of being outside, how she got home or what had happened to her.”

At one stage, the court heard how Baggaley was propping her up against a window.

Officers carried out a follow-up welfare check on the woman days later and she said she still had no memory of what had happened.

After being arrested and charged, Baggaley told police: “I don’t remember doing this so I must have been equally intoxicated.”

‘Horror’ over offence

Baggaley pled guilty on indictment to sexually assaulting the woman by kissing her and placing his hands inside her lower clothing while she was drunk and unable to consent.

Defence counsel Iain McSporran KC said: “I am specifically instructed to express his genuine remorse and, indeed, horror at what he has done.

“He still has no recollection of committing this offence.

“He accepts that he committed this offence but is utterly appalled that he should have done so and wishes me to express what appears to be genuine contrition that he should do this thing.”

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence on Baggaley, of Edinburgh, until April for a social work report to be prepared.

The court heard how he teaches skiing in Austria and is competing in championships across five days in March.

Hypothetical alternative scenarios:

- puked up in taxi instead of later in her bed;

- ended up in taxi at rank round the corner on her own, with predatory driver. A few of those around these days. Allegedly.

- shoved in taxi on her own by friends, bouncer or security from the Vic or students' union. Ditto above scenario.

- ended up in the takeaway round the corner across from the taxi rank; you know, the one Creepy Jack ran and ended up sexually assaulted a young woman.

- got into a car parked illegally on the rank, thinking it's a taxi.

- or something similar happened, but away from the public eye. Probably reasonably commonplace, I'd imagine. But, of course, as per the scenario depicted, neither party possibly any recollection at all because of the level of intoxication.

But, as I said, councillors seem more interested in extending the licensing hours of the two premises mentioned in the piece.

And, of course, making taxi drivers sound like a huge public danger because they've not got a 'fire extinguisher location sticker', or their rooflight's not illuminating

Again, not really a taxi thing, and this is mostly rehash apart from the sentencing stuff.

And while she ended up in a taxi round the corner with friends, I've seen similar people being shoved into taxis alone by 'friends', or doormen from the Vic pub/club and students' union mentioned in the piece.


Skiing coach’s career in tatters after St Andrews sex assault

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/co ... x-assault/

Fraser Baggaley was seen by several witnesses as he drunkenly assaulted a former friend.

A skiing prodigy has been placed on the sex offenders register after taking advantage of a drunk woman in St Andrews.

CCTV footage captured 21-year-old Fraser Baggaley indecently touching a former friend at St Marys Place.

The woman was so drunk she could barely stand or walk and was at one stage carried out of the town’s student union by Baggaley.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Baggaley’s once fledgling career as a competitive skier and coach is now in jeopardy because of his sexual assault conviction.

He returned to the dock for sentencing after pleading guilty to the offending in February.

His defence counsel, Ian McSporran KC told the court: “I am instructed to repeat by way of emphasis his sincere apologies and expression on his part of horror and disbelief that he could behave in the way he did.”

Accused carried victim from premises

The court was previously told how Baggaley’s victim had no memory of the attack on October 3 2024.

After witnessing his behaviour, a bar worker confronted had Baggaley, who claimed he was concerned about the woman, and said: “If you were that concerned you wouldn’t have put your hand down her pants.”

Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said the then-19-year-old and the woman were known to each other but not in a relationship at the time.

A safety officer at the student union saw Baggaley carrying her and stopped him to make sure she was okay.

Baggaley repeatedly tried to answer for her but the worker managed to obtain answers from the woman directly.

She left the woman after trying to assist her across the road.

However, Baggaley’s behaviour caught the eye of two bouncers outside The Vic pub.

Ms Ritchie said: “The complainer was very drunk and they went to check on them to make sure they knew each other.

“They saw the complainer had her back to the accused and the accused had his hand down her trousers.

“One of the security officers went over to put a stop to what was happening and did not believe the complainer was able to consent to what was happening to her.”

Woman had no memory of attack

Baggaley was visibly drunk but not to the same extent as his victim.

Two females leaving The Vic ended up sharing a taxi with the woman, helping her to her flat and putting her in the recovery position in her bed.

Police were contacted due to multiple concerns from witnesses and officers later found evidence she had vomited in her bed.

Ms Ritchie said: “She had no memory of being outside, how she got home or what had happened to her.”

At one stage, the court heard how Baggaley was propping her up against a window.

Officers carried out a follow-up welfare check on the woman days later and she said she still had no memory of what had happened.

After being arrested and charged, Baggaley told police: “I don’t remember doing this so I must have been equally intoxicated.”

Baggaley pled guilty on indictment to sexually assaulting the woman by kissing her and placing his hands inside her lower clothing while she was drunk and incapable of consenting.

Ski career on hold, court hears

The accused returned to the dock following the preparation of a social work report.

Mr McSporran said: “He tells me that he doesn’t want it to be thought he is expressing himself as in any way the victim.

“He has devoted himself to a career as a ski coach and competitor with good prospects but as a result of this conviction, he has been suspended and prohibited from attending competition areas.

“The future in that regard seems to be unknown.

“He doesn’t know whether he will ever be able to return to this.”

Baggaley himself said he wanted to perform unpaid work as a punishment for his crime and had “impressed” social workers with his “sincerity and genuine remorse”.

Sentencing

“This was a sexual assault which meets the threshold for a custodial sentence,” Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said.

“I therefore must look to see if there are alternatives that I can follow.

“There are mitigations here – you have no previous convictions, there were amendments made to the charge and I will also have to take account of your age.

“I am going to make a community payback order.”

Baggaley must perform 120 hours of unpaid work and will be supervised by social workers for 12 months.

He will be subject to sex offender notification requirements for the same period.

What have these 3 posts got to do with fire extiguisher stickers? are they in the right place?

Think the fella got lucky with the sentence, although I can see why the judge went that way.

But the stain of being a sex offender will last for a very, very long time.

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IDFIMH