Strathaven Masseur Alistair Bennie Jailed for Indecent Assaulting 10 Female Patients

A Strathaven masseur has been convicted of indecently assaulting ten female patients and faces a possible jail sentence.

Alistair Bennie, 61, denied molesting the women while treating them but a jury returned guilty verdicts after a week-long trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court. Victims described feeling "violated," "embarrassed," and "mortified" by Bennie's inappropriate touching.

Prosecutor Neil Thomson argued that the case against Bennie was "compelling," noting that while most of the women didn't know each other, there were "striking similarities" in their accounts. The assaults took place between September 2017 and June 2022, mostly in victims' homes with others present.

One victim hesitated to report Bennie immediately due to her aversion to confrontation and sympathy for him, stating he had confided in her about personal problems and mental health struggles. Bennie denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer questioned why it took several years for most of the women to come forward.

After the guilty verdicts, Bennie was placed on the sex offenders' register. Sheriff Linda Nicolson deferred sentencing until May while awaiting background reports, an electronic tagging assessment, and a risk assessment. Bennie, who resides on Hamilton Road in Strathaven, remains on bail with conditions that prohibit him from working as a masseur.

Sheriff Nicolson emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating that custody is her primary consideration.