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Life term for 'sordid' sex attack Life term for 'sordid' sex attack
(about 1 hour later)
A man has been jailed for life for the sexual assault of a woman in Dumfries and attempting to rob a man at knifepoint in the town on the same day. A convicted rapist who carried out a sexual assault on a woman in Dumfries hours after being freed by the police has been jailed for life.
At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Mackay sentenced John Turner, 42, to a discretionary life term, taking into account his long history of offending. Officers caught John Turner, 42, with a knife but cautioned him and let him go.
At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Mackay sentenced Turner to a discretionary life term, taking into account his long history of offending.
Dumfries and Galloway Police have reviewed procedures in order to avoid any possible repeat of the situation.
When Turner was stopped on 6 January with a knife he was cautioned, charged with possession and released.
It is certainly worrying when we are concentrating so much on knife crime and trying to eliminate knife crime that the police caught somebody with a knife and then re-released them Dr Elaine Murray MSP
Police did not carry out checks which would have shown his violent past, the fact that he was on bail and had been captured on CCTV trying to rob a man.
Hours later Turner sexually assaulted a woman on waste ground behind a pub in the town.
He will serve five and a half years before being considered for parole.He will serve five and a half years before being considered for parole.
The judge described the sexual assault as "despicable and sordid, calculated to humiliate a defenceless woman".The judge described the sexual assault as "despicable and sordid, calculated to humiliate a defenceless woman".
Turner had a large number of previous convictions - including being jailed for six years for rape in 1993.
He admitted assaulting David Dobbie, 45, in Brewery Street by brandishing a knife with intent to rob.
Turner also admitted being in possession of a lock knife and sexually assaulting a woman on waste land behind the White Hart pub.
The assault victim had been granted two hours unsupervised leave from a psychiatric hospital to visit a relative in Dumfries.
'Completely unacceptable'
The court heard she had gone out and was attacked by Turner who had been drinking heavily.
Joseph Barr, defending, said that Turner sometimes suffered partial or total amnesia because of his alcohol abuse since the death of his partner.
He said: "He wants to convey to the woman he assaulted his sincere apologies for his conduct.
"He realises it was completely unacceptable."
Supt Kate Thomson, of Dumfries and Galloway Police, said a full independent review of the case had been carried out.
Dumfries and Galloway Police have reviewed procedures
"John Turner, the person who has been sentenced today, is responsible for that attack," she said.
"However, it is regrettable that the checking procedure that was in place at that time was not followed and was not robust enough to deal with the set of circumstances that prevailed."
New procedures have been introduced to be followed in such circumstances.
However, Supt Thomson admitted that if all proper checking had been done at the time Turner's background would have come to light.
"It is regrettable that the full procedures were not followed," she said.
'Very worrying'
Dumfries MSP Dr Elaine Murray expressed concern about the circumstances of the case.
"It is certainly worrying when we are concentrating so much on knife crime and trying to eliminate knife crime that the police caught somebody with a knife and then re-released them," she said.
"The police have said that the proper procedures were not followed in this case and that they have now reviewed procedures.
"I would hope that this sort of event would not happen again as it is certainly very worrying and it led on to a very serious offence."