A CLYDEBANK man who admitted dragging a 35-year-old woman down a lane and sexually assaulting her was today jailed for four years.

Andrew Greensmith, 36, of John Knox Street, who finds women's fear sexually arousing, grabbed his terrified victim as she walked along Partick's Beith Street, at around 4.15pm, on January 11 last year.

Greensmith, who was wearing gloves, covered her nose and mouth with one hand and with the other pushed her further and further down the lane.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Lady Stacey ordered Greensmith to be monitored in the community for four years after his release to protect the public.

Lady Stacey told Greensmith: “This is behaviour that is completely unacceptable. It was frightening for the woman involved and you must be punished for what you did.”

The judge also placed Greensmith on the sex offenders register, and warned him that if he failed to cooperate during the monitoring, he will be brought back to court to face further punishment.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: “The woman described herself as panicking, believing that she was about to be raped or killed.”

A glove which Greensmith had accidentally dropped was handed it to police. The DNA found on the glove was a match for the fiend, who has two previous convictions for sexually abusing women.

Greensmith admitted sexually assaulting his victim by grabbing her from behind, placing his hands over her mouth and nose, restricting her breathing, and forcing her into a lane.

His terrified victim managed to end the ordeal by screamed and banging on a ground floor flat window.

At this point, Greensmith released his grip and walked away.

His victim followed him shouting: “That man attacked me, that man attacked me” and “Help me.”

She was crying, screaming and in distress.

A woman came to her aid and they both followed Greensmith along Rosevale Street. They saw one black glove fall from his rear trouser pocket and the Good Samaritan picked it up and handed it to officers at Patrick police station.

Mr Farrell said: “The accused accepts that his motivation for carrying out this attack was sexual in that he finds women's fear sexually arousing, which is why he perpetrated this offence.”

The court heard the attack has had a profound effect on Greensmith's victim. She no longer goes out alone after dark, and has been forced to change her work hours to avoid returning home after nightfall. She also has difficulty sleeping.

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Defence QC Gary Allan said that Greensmith, who worked in a Barnardos's shop twice a week until this incident, has learning difficulties.

Mr Allan told the court: “He gets sexual gratification from causing fear. Despite this it has never been his intention to rape anyone.”

The QC said that Greensmith recognises that his actions are very frightening for the woman.

In August 2000 at Peterhead Sheriff Court, Greensmith was convicted of assaulting a 17-year-old shop assistant in a storeroom by grabbing her, pressing his body against her and kissing her on the cheek and neck.

He was also convicted at Glasgow Sheriff Court in April 2002 of committing a breach of the peace by stalking a woman.