Woman relives abduction bid fear

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A woman who helped a grandmother fight off a serial sex offender as he tried to abduct her grandchildren to rape them has said it was "terrifying".

Evelyn Collie was speaking after Ryan Yates admitted the attempted murder of the 60-year-old victim and the planned abduction in an Aberdeen park.

Sentence has been deferred for a full risk assessment report.

Mrs Collie told BBC Scotland: "It's terrified me. I used to go out for a walk at night. I won't now."

Det Supt Brian Yule, of Grampian Police, said: "Both women did extremely well in what was a horrific attack.

"We would like to commend this 60-year-old woman for her courage in defending these children and Evelyn Collie, who acted with commendable coolness in shouting at Yates then contacting the police very quickly with a description as he left the scene.

"This allowed police to detain Yates within minutes of the crime being committed."

Learn lessons

Yates stabbed the woman while her granddaughters, aged eight and two, escaped in the Bridge of Don area of the city last October, the High Court in Edinburgh heard on Wednesday.

He carried out the attack five days after he was released from prison for an assault which contained a sexual element, and was put under a court order banning him from accosting females two days before the incident.

He was caught by police shortly after the attack and said he had gone out that day "looking to find some children to have sex with".

Yates told police after the attack that he had wanted to be sent back to prison. Officers believe he may have become "institutionalised" after so much time in jail.

Sentence was deferred until April.

Politicians have called for an investigation so lessons can be learned.