Siblings at centre of Dundee knife girl video to appeal sentences
BBCA brother and sister who assaulted two girls in Dundee in an incident that saw one of their victims brandishing an axe and knife in a viral video are to appeal their sentences.
Ilia Belov, 23, was placed on supervision and the sex offenders register for 18 months and given a 300-hour unpaid work order after being convicted of assaulting a 12-year-old girl and uttering sexual remarks to the girl and her friends.
Nadjedzha Belova, 20, was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work after admitting assaulting another girl in the group to her injury.
A video of the child holding the weapons was highlighted at the time by Elon Musk, who criticised her arrest for "trying to defend herself".
Belov's solicitor Larry Flynn told BBC Scotland News the appeal would focus on his client's addition to the sex offenders register rather than the supervision or unpaid work order.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) confirmed that an appeal against the sentences had been lodged.
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."
