Forres businessman Mike Ramsay jailed for sexual assault

A Moray businessman who plied one of his victims with drink and drugs before sexually assaulting her has been jailed.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Michael Ramsay, who is now bankrupt, was "a sexual deviant" who bore "hostility towards women".

The 66-year-old had denied sexually assaulting his two victims at homes he owned in Elgin and Findhorn.

During his trial Ramsay accused one of the women of trying to blackmail him.

He alleged the other woman had been put up to it by the lover of his estranged former wife.

However it took only an hour for the jury to find Ramsay guilty of four offences.

These included sexually assaulting one woman, and forcibly trying to remove the clothes of the other.

Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald said: "You took advantage of your position of power and you show no remorse.

"On the contrary, you tried to blame these women. They were clear they did not want your sexual advances."

The offences took place between March 13-17 in 2018 and on January 8, 2020.

Ramsey was the founder of Scotland Electronics (International) which once employed 45 staff on Forres Enterprise Park.

The hi-tech company designed and manufactured precision equipment for the defence, oil and gas, and aeronautics sectors.

It went into liquidation in April 2017.

The court heard that Ramsay was now living in rented accommodation.

Sheriff Macdonald jailed him for three-and-a-half years and placed him on the Sex Offender's Register indefinitely.

For the women's protection non-harassment orders were also imposed for the next ten years.

One of Ramsay's two victims had travelled from abroad to be present at today's court hearing.

She sobbed as he was led away from the dock to begin his jail term.

Speaking afterwards, the woman said: "I am glad that he got a sentence of years and has gone to jail. I have spent almost as long in torment."