Siblings at centre of Dundee knife girl video sentenced

A Bulgarian man has been given a community sentence for assaulting a 12-year-old girl who later brandished an axe and knife at him in what became a viral video.

Ilia Belov, 23, was previously found guilty of uttering sexual remarks to a group of girls in Dundee before throwing one of them to the ground.

He was ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, 18 months of supervision and placed on the sex offenders register for the same period.

A video showing the girl holding the weapons was highlighted at the time by Elon Musk, who criticised the girl's arrest for "trying to defend herself".

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith told Belov that by either posting the footage online or allowing it to be posted, he had "lost control of it" and was the "author of his own downfall".

He said Belov had been a stranger to the girls, and had "persisted in making sexualised comments to a child".

Belov's sister Nadjedzha Belova, 20, admitted assaulting another girl in the group by pulling her hair, dragging her to the ground, and striking her on the head to her injury. She was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.

Police Scotland initially indicated that no-one apart from the girl had been arrested or was wanted in connection with the incident.

The force subsequently admitted that their initial statement "did not fully reflect the situation".

The video of the girl, which was filmed by Belov, was widely shared and commented on by figures including Musk and far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

The force initially said it was aware of "misinformation" being shared online about "an incident where a Bulgarian couple were approached by youths", and that a 12-year-old girl had been charged with possession of a weapon.

Solicitor Larry Flynn, defending Belov, said: "It is a rather unusual case and he has become a social pariah.

"His Scottish friends - of which he had many - have abandoned him."

The trial heard that Belov had said "hello sexy, I'll show you a good time" to the girls while walking past them in the Lochee area of the city.

After one of the girls called him a creep, he returned to confront the group and called his sister, who arrived shortly afterwards and assaulted one of the girls.

Belov then claimed he had seen the girl's weapon and, fearing for his sister, had pushed her.

He claimed the children had called him a migrant and used an expletive.

Sheriff Niven-Smith rejected Belov's claim of self-defence and said the girls' evidence had been "eloquent."

The court heard previously that the 12-year-old girl Belov attacked admitted pulling a knife and axe from her waistband, but only after Belov had assaulted her.

The girl told the trial that her sister started to shout at Belov after the remarks, but the pair were pulled away by a friend.

She then told the court Belova approached the group, pushed her and threw her sister to the ground.

The girl said she had tried "to go for" the woman but was pushed by Belov.

She said he pushed her on the head and her head hit the handrail of a ramp.

Belov claimed that after walking away, he was still being "disrespected" so he turned around and went back to the group.

He said at that point the girls "started panicking" and said he was following them.

Belov said he then phoned his sister as the group had grown in numbers and he was "worried about myself".

Belov said his sister then arrived and grabbed one of the girls by the hair and pushed her.

Asked when he saw the other girl holding the weapon, he said "After I pushed her."

He said he had previously seen a knife sticking out of her t-shirt.

Asked why he pushed the girl, he said: "I thought she was going to do something."

Speaking outside the court after the sentencing, Belov said: "All the pressure from social media, even anonymous social media, has broke everything on me in my life, and even my family is still being affected by that."

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said the siblings had now been prosecuted and convicted for their actions.

"Scotland's independent prosecution service carefully considers all reports of alleged criminal conduct submitted by the police.

"Criminal proceedings will be raised where reports contain sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is appropriate and in the public interest to do so."