Gilmerton man accused of rape and assaulting woman with dead bird

A man has appeared in court accused of assaulting a woman with a dead bird before raping her and indecently assaulting her with feathers.

Alexander Reilly, 65m, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court

Alexander Reilly, from Gilmerton in Edinburgh, also faces a string of rape and sex abuse charges dating back as far as April 1970.

The 65-year-old faces a total of 12 charges said to have been committed at various addresses in Dundee, including four of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour, three under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 1976, two of attempted rape, one of assault to injury, one of indecent assault and one of rape.

The assault charge alleges over the course of five years in the mid 1980s he repeatedly assaulted a woman by punching and slapping her, throwing beer cans at her and kicking her.

The charge then states that he did “place feathers over her body and forced them into her mouth, throw a dead bird at her causing it to strike her on the face and rub the bird on her face”.

It goes on to allege he forced her into a cupboard and secured the door, preventing her from leaving, and placed feathers under the door to cause her distress. Reilly also allegedly placed knives under her pillow and in her bed and threatened to kill her.

He is further alleged to have indecently assaulted the woman using feathers and forcibly raping her.

Reilly made no plea when he appeared in private on petition at Dundee Sheriff Court today.

Sheriff John Rafferty continued the case for further examination.

Reilly was granted bail pending further court dates being set.

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