11/06/2026
A Bulgarian man has been found guilty of assaulting a 12-year-old girl during an incident in Dundee last year.
Ilia Belov, 22, was also convicted of behaving in a “threatening or abusive manner” towards four girls, all of whom were aged between 12 and 14.
Belov’s sister Nadjedzha Belova (also pictured) earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of assaulting a 13-year-old girl in the incident, which happened in the Lochee area of the city in August 2025.
During a two-day trial, Dundee Sheriff Court heard the 12-year-old had been walking with a group of girls on their way to a bus stop when Belov made s*xual remarks to her.
Giving evidence by video-link, the girl, who is now 13, recalled: “He kept saying, ‘come here s*xy. I will show you how to have a good time’.”
She said his words made her feel “dead angry”, and she turned around and began shouting at him.
Belov then phoned his sister, who arrived shortly afterwards and began attacking a 13-year-old member of the group.
In the ensuing fracas, Belov pushed the 12-year-old, who told the court she hit her head on a metal handrail as she fell to the ground.
After standing back up she pulled out an axe and knife she said had been hiding in her waistband for five to 10 minutes before the incident.
She said after revealing the weapons she was “basically sat holding them”, saying she “knew” the man would “try to go for (the other girl)”.
When the police arrived minutes later, the girl said she dumped the weapons on a nearby roundabout, where they were later recovered by officers.
Giving evidence during the trial with the assistance of a Bulgarian interpreter, Belov claimed he had pushed the girl in order to protect his sister after seeing she had a knife hidden under her T-shirt.
He also denied having made s*xualised remarks to the girls, telling the court they had been saying derogatory things to him, including calling him a “f****** migrant”.
However sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith rejected Belov’s version of events, describing it as “neither credible nor reliable”.
“For a number of reasons I find your evidence to be wholly unconvincing and self-serving,” he said.
“It is, as was suggested by the prosecution, a revisionist or excuse.
“It is a curious set of circumstances that having been alerted to (a girl) in possession of a knife… having pushed the person in possession of the knife to the ground, you turn your back upon her.
“It is not for me to speculate, but common sense would suggest that if someone had a knife you would pay particular attention to the individual with (it), for fear that they attack you with it.”
He said the girl’s evidence was supported by that of two other members of the group, and by CCTV footage of the incident that was shown to the court.
He told Belov: “I am entirely satisfied by proof beyond reasonable doubt that the trigger for all of this were the comments that you made.
“I accept that as a result of the comments you made abuse was directed at you, which included swear words, including you being called a ‘f****** creep and an immigrant’.
“The words of the children were eloquent to describe your behaviour given your age and their respective ages.”
He went on: “Having made the s*xual remarks to the children you then, enraged by the fact that they became angry and started shouting abuse at you, followed them.”
He said rather than leave the area or call the police he instead called his sister, who “immediately on arrival engaged in attacking one of the females”.
He also told Belov he rejected his claim that he had seen a knife under the girl’s T-shirt before pushing her.
The sheriff said: “I am entirely satisfied… taking (the girls’ evidence) together with the video footage, that you assaulted (the girl).”
Belov, who appeared in court dressed in black trousers and a white puffer jacket, showed no reaction as the verdicts were handed down.
The pair are due to be sentenced on August 5..
