Man appears in court over Livingston rape

A MAN has appeared in court in connection with a serious sexual assault in Livingston on Wednesday.

Barry MacMillan, 26, appeared on petition at Livingston Sheriff Court today charged with rape and breach of the peace.

A woman was subjected to a “terrifying” sex attack near a public footpath in the town at 5.15pm on Wednesday.

It took place in bushes close to the path between Cedarbank and Colverbank in the Ladywell area.

MacMillan made no plea nor declaration and was committed for further examination.

He will remain in custody until his next appearance next week.

REPORT: Cara Sulieman

Tobin hoaxer torments Vicky’s family on Facebook

A VILE hoaxer pretending to be serial killer Peter Tobin has posted a message on a Facebook site dedicated to getting justice for his victims.

The message was posted yesterday (Wed) on the V.D.A Petition page, named after Tobin’s confirmed victims, Vicky Hamilton, Dinah McNicol and Angelika Kluk.

The hoaxer, who has also set up a Peter Tobin page on Facebook, wrote that he was: “Living life in Saughton.”

Michael Hamilton, father of Vicky, branded the message as “sick” and said he hoped police would try to track down the hoaxer as a warning to others.

Police appeal for witnesses after second Livingston sex attack in a week

A 27-YEAR-OLD woman was sexually assaulted as she walked down a public footpath in Livingston yesterday (Wed) evening.

The victim was on the footpath between Cedarbank and Cloverbank in the Ladywell area at around 5.15pm when she was attacked by a man in his mid-20s.

He was described as being around 26-years-old, between 5ft 7 – 5ft 8ins tall and of slim build, with short fair or light brown hair and was wearing a dark baseball cap with yellow writing.

The man was clean-shaven and was wearing dark jeans with a dark long-sleeved top and a dark coloured waterproof jacket.

Man appears in court in connection with Livingston sex attack

A MAN has appeared in court over the alleged rape of a woman in her own home in Livingston at the weekend.

John McKeown, 22, appeared on petition at Livingston Sheriff Court today in connection with the incident.

He faces charges of abduction, rape, two counts of assualt, attempted murder and breach of the peace.

McKeown, from Livingston, made no plea nor delcaration when he appeared in private and was remanded in custody until his next apearance later this month.

A 39-year-old woman was allegedly raped in the early hours of Saturday morning after a man broke into the home she was staying at.

REPORT: Cara Sulieman

Woman found dealing drugs near East Lothian primary school

A WOMAN was dealing class A drugs near a primary school in East Lothian.

Adelle Mackie, 34, was stopped on the street by the police after they received information that she was selling diamorphine near Wallyford Primary School, East Lothian.

They found 19.4 grams of the drug as well as £166.60 in cash in her handbag and a search of her home the same day led to the discovery of scales covered in traces of diamorphine.

Today at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Mackie – from Musselburgh – pled guilty to supplying diamorphine between February 19 and April 13 this year.

Depute fiscal Pauline Shade told the court that another search was carried out of Mackie’s home two months later when 12.5 grams of the drug was also found.

Man assaulted lone 16-year-old employee who was so scared he called his mum

A MAN assaulted a lone 16-year-old employee during a premeditated shop raid, leaving the teen so shaken that he called his mum.

Gordon Steen, 32, from Edinburgh, brandished a knife at Aquib Aslam at the Star Store in Kirkliston and threatened to kill him if he told the police.

Terrified Mr Aslam called his mum as soon as the robbery was over and went to shut up shop.

A female customer who was trying to get in to the shop saw how upset he was and comforted him until his mother arrived.

Drunk driver left victim trapped as he feared getting in trouble

A DRUNK driver who collided with another car left his victim trapped as he fled the scene for fear of “getting into trouble”.

Steven Gardner, 38, from Dalkeith, loss control of the Mercedes he was driving on the A7 Edinburgh to Galashiels road on November 22 last year.

He crashed into Steven Price’s Ford Fiesta at around 7.10pm.

Mr Price pleaded with Gardner to help him out of his car, but he took off down the road on foot and hailed another car, asking the driver to call 999.

Man charged in connection with alleged sexual assault

Police have arrested and charged a man in connection with an alleged serious sexual assault at a house in West Lothian at the weekend.

The alleged incident happened in the early hours of Saturday morning in Oakwood Park, Livingston.

Lothian and Borders Police appealed for information in catching the suspect and had warned locals to secure their homes.

The 22-year-old is due to appear at Livingston Sheriff Court tomorrow (Wed).

REPORT: Peter Laing

Pub landord laid to rest after emotional tribute by family

A FATHER-of-two who was found dead outside his pub was said to have “enough friends to fill a football stadium but not enough enemies to fill a phone box” at an emotional funeral today (Tue).

Steven Curran, 47, was discovered lying behind the Dolphin Inn at Whitecraig, East Lothian, at around 2am on Thursday 23 October.

A police investigation into his death concluded had been murdered.

Yesterday, it was the turn for emotional mourners to pack into Mortonhall Crematorium Main Chapel in Edinburgh to pay their respects to a man who was “taken too soon”.

Police study CCTV in bid to catch Livingston sex attacker

A woman who was subjected to a horrific, early morning sex attack at a West Lothian house was only staying there because she was in the middle of moving home, detectives have revealed.

The 39-year-old victim was temporarily living with her brother-in-law and his young son in Livingston when the attacker sneaked into the luxury, detached home early on Saturday.

Detectives have also revealed that the attacker ordered the other occupants – a terrified man and his son – at knife point into a room before subjecting his victim to an hour-long ordeal.

The attacker tried to gain entry to at least three – and possibly four – homes nearby in the hour before eventually finding an insecure door or window at the attack address, police confirmed.

The incident, in Oakwood Park, Deans, Livingston, is causing so much concern that officers who specialise in tracking down sex offenders have been drafted into help.

The squad is also examining UK-wide records in a bid to establish whether the attacker has struck before.