A Dalgety Bay man, who set up a massage therapy business in his home, sexually assaulted a female customer.

The woman was one of the first clients to visit the home of 32-year-old Mark Robertson.

The massage was brought to an abrupt halt when Robertson touched her breast with his mouth.

Robertson, of Seafire Place, claimed the contact was accidental but his version of events was found to be “not plausible” by a sheriff.

Robertson was convicted after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He was found guilty of a charge that on February 9 at his home he sexually assaulted a woman by touching her breast with his mouth.

The victim was 24 years old and had gone to Robertson’s home where he had started running a part-time massage business.

The court was told he had only had around “five to ten” massage customers before this incident and none since.

In her evidence, the woman was highly critical of Robertson’s massage skills.

However, matters took a more sinister turn when Robertson touched her exposed breast with his mouth.

The victim’s mother told the trial that her distressed daughter returned home crying.

Robertson claimed in court that the contact had been with the side of his face.

The court heard the woman was lying on her back with her eyes covered by a yoga pillow. Her body was covered by a towel and blanket initially.

Robertson said in evidence: “I didn’t realise that her breast had become exposed.”

He said he was looking away, focussing on working on her muscles when his face came into contact with her breast.

He went on: “She said, ‘Excuse me’. It had happened completely accidentally. She looked embarrassed. I felt embarrassed for her.”

He said the woman did not want the massage to continue and he handed back her money.

Robertson continued: “I apologised to her. I felt it was the right thing to do. Client satisfaction is everything to me. I’m a caring person.

“It’s a family home. My wife could have come in at any time and my parents come and go.

“There’s no way I would ever do anything like that. It was completely accidental.”

Sheriff Francis Gill said he found the woman to be a “credible and reliable” witness while Robertson’s account was “not plausible”.

Robertson was found guilty and put on the sex offenders register until sentencing on November 29.