A Highland social worker who sexually assaulted a woman during a visit to her home has been spared a criminal conviction.
David Macrae had previously admitted removing the woman’s clothing and touching her breasts.
But yesterday Sheriff David Sutherland granted him an absolute discharge as a doctor’s letter issued two weeks before the offence stated he was suffering from “acute bereavement reaction” following his mother’s death.
Fifty-nine-year-old Mr Macrae’s agent, solicitor John McCall, told Inverness Sheriff Court it was “completely out of character” for his client to do what he did.
He said weight should be given to the fact the doctor’s letter preceded the offence.
Sheriff Sutherland said that the “most telling” detail was that Mr Macrae had gone to see his GP two weeks before the offence, and that he was signed off work because he was suffering from “acute bereavement reaction following his mother’s death and a series of other events”.
When Mr Macrae admitted the assault, Mr McCall took the rare step of asking Sheriff David Sutherland to defer his conviction as well as sentence.
He provided a psychological report on his client to the sheriff, who then called for a background report on the married man.
The court heard that Mr Macrae, of Rosedale Cottage, Hartmount, Tain, had visited the woman on June 15 last year.
Fiscal depute Michelle Molley said that the victim, who is in her 20s, made a cup of tea for both of them and noticed that he was staring at her breasts.
The fiscal said that she challenged him about it and then he made a comment about her bra, leaving her shocked.
Macrae removed the woman’s jumper and bra without saying anything, but as she asked him to stop and moved away he told her that all he wanted to do was touch her.
He left the house and later apologised for the incident.