A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a dad who attempted to lure two young girls from an Aberdeen park with the promise of ice-cream and money.
Biju Mathew was placed on the sex offenders’ register last month after a sheriff took just minutes to find him guilty of preying on primary school girls as they played in a park next to his sons.
The 43-year-old was released on bail following his three day trial for reports to be carried out, and was due to return to court for sentencing yesterday.
However, on the day of the verdict the court heard Mathew was due to go on a pre-booked holiday with his family.
And yesterday, he failed to appear before Sheriff William Taylor to be sentenced.
Representing the first offender, solicitor Mike Allan said his client had called him that morning to say he was not feeling well enough to attend court.
Sheriff Taylor said this was not a good enough excuse and issued a warrant for his arrest.
The court previously heard Mathew approached the girls as they were hanging from a climbing frame in a play park in Aberdeen’s Waulkmill Crescent.
He then made explicit and sexual comments towards them before repeatedly asking for a kiss.
When the girls rejected him, the father-of-three tried to tempt them into visiting his home by offering them £25 each and ice-cream.
Mathew even gave them his address and pointed out his house from the park. His actions scared the girls and they raised the alarm with one of their parents, who then contacted the police.
Mathew originally denied the two child sex offences, and claimed the children had fabricated the story as they were being racist towards him and his sons.
But Sheriff Kenneth Stewart took just two minutes to find him guilty, and said his two victims had been credible and reliable when they gave evidence.
He said the details the children gave during their evidence about what was said by Mathew that day could have “only come from the lips of the accused”.