A Good Samaritan who ran to a schoolgirl’s aid during a sex assault – and then provided footage which helped catch the attacker, has welcomed his conviction in court.
The footage shows the shocking moment Christopher Kenn followed the girl off a bus as she was walking along an Aberdeen street on her way home from school and then attacked her.
Kenn, of Aberdeen, appeared at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this week and admitted assaulting the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, with intent to rape her.
The 45-year-old ran off when the helper came towards him.
However, Kenn, who also admitted to assaulting another woman with intent to rape in an incident which took place in 2008, was snared thanks to camera footage of the incident provided by the teenage girl who came to her aid and bus CCTV.
The teen, who has asked not to be named, told the Evening Express: “It’s really good news.
“What happened was really awful, something that nobody should ever have to deal with.
“The girl was really shaken. “I’m hoping the court case can be over and done with soon and he can be sentenced.”
She added: “The girl was in her school uniform so he must have known her age, which makes it even worse. She said she had felt him following her and he tried to take her phone so she couldn’t use it to call the police.
“I heard someone screaming for help so I ran there. I found the girl lying on the floor crying her eyes out and saying ‘I need to phone my dad’.
“I calmed her down and she phoned her dad.
“I got her some water and talked to her to take her mind off it and, when her dad arrived, we called the police.
“Her mum thanked me too. I was just pleased to be able to do something.”
After a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow, Detective Inspector David Howieson said: “We acknowledge the guilty plea and our thoughts remain with the victim and her family.
“An extensive investigation was carried out into this incident with the support of the local community.
“I would again like to thank those who assisted. I know that a number of people helped at the scene of the incident and we are grateful for their actions.”
The court heard Kenn followed his victim as she headed home from school.
The girl spoke to her father on the phone during the journey.
Prosecutor Allan Nicol told the court: “She said she felt as if she was being watched. The girl said she would tell her dad when she got home.”
Shortly after getting off the bus, Kenn jumped on top of her, put his arm around her neck and covered her mouth. As she was hauled to the ground, the attacker repeatedly punched the youngster before molesting her.
He was described in court at one point as “growling” during the attack.
When the victim screamed, the teen rushed to her aid and Kenn ran off. Footage shows Kenn startled by headlights from a passing car and from a woman walking her dog, who also came to the victim’s aid.
The court heard Kenn told police: “I assaulted a school lassie by accident.
Kenn also claimed it was “stupid”.
Mr Nicol: “He said he had not see her before and that it was not pre-meditated.”
Kenn’s DNA taken by police upon arrest in January linked him to another sex attack on Orchard Street, Old Aberdeen, on September 16 2008, when he pounced on a 25-year-old woman as she was heading home on a night out.
Kenn pushed the woman to the ground and lay on top of her. He repeatedly tried to pin her arms down.
Kenn’s DNA was found on her clothing, but there was no match at the time.
At Thursday’s hearing judge Lord Mulholland deferred sentencing for reports and placed Kenn on the sex offenders list.
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