So called 'pick-up artist' has conviction for targeting women in Glasgow and Uddingston quashed

A self-styled pick-up artist who was jailed over threatening behaviour towards young women has had his conviction quashed on appeal.

Adnan Ahmed - who called himself Addy A-game in secretly-filmed videos posted online - was convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour for approaching several young women, causing them fear and alarm.

Now 39, he was jailed for two years at Glasgow Sheriff Court in October 2019 following a trial earlier in the year.

Lawyers for Ahmed launched an appeal on grounds including that he had been the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Appeal Court judges agreed he had suffered a miscarriage of justice following improper "cross-examination'' of Ahmed by the sheriff after he finished giving his evidence at the trial.

In a written decision published on Friday, Lord Turnbull wrote: "The trial sheriff engaged in an exercise which could only be described as cross-examination.

"The informed and impartial observer would readily have concluded that the sheriff had formed an adverse view on the credibility of the appellant's evidence.

"The result was a miscarriage of justice and the appeal against conviction on each charge must be upheld on this ground.''

Appeal court judges also said the sheriff was wrong to dismiss submissions by Ahmed's lawyer that there was no case to answer, meaning not enough evidence led to convict, in three of the charges.

Lord Turnbull wrote: "There was nothing in the appellant's behaviour as spoken to by the complainers in charges five, six and 18 which was overtly threatening or which could reasonably be construed as threatening.

"Accordingly, in our opinion, the sheriff erred in failing to give effect to the submissions of no case to answer presented on the appellant's behalf in respect of each of these charges.''

The judges wrote that as an appeal against conviction has been upheld the appeal against sentence "flies off''.

During proceedings last year, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard one woman was aged 21 when Ahmed approached her in the street, made comments about her appearance, touched her cheek and tried to kiss her, leading to her pushing him away.

He also approached two schoolgirls, aged 16 and 17, asked the older one if she was at school, if she was married and if she wanted to meet for coffee.

He also approached two other women in the street, with all the offences taking place between 2016 and 2019 in Glasgow city centre and Uddingston.

Ahmed, of Glasgow, disputed his actions were unlawful and in evidence accused his victims of lying or misconstruing him.

Police began an investigation after his behaviour was revealed by the BBC's The Social.

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