A Sheriff yesterday slammed a nightclub after a vulnerable woman fell prey to a sex attacker shortly after staff refused to let her back in to retrieve her phone and money.

Sheriff Tom Hughes said it was ‘shocking a nightclub did that to a young woman’ as her attacker was found guilty.

The 20-year-old woman left Glasgow’s Bamboo nightclub for air but was refused re-entry despite her phone, money and friends being inside, the hearing was told.

She was approached by an apparent good Samaritan – Matthew McLellan – who offered to help her.

Instead, he led her to the sixth floor of a car park, where he launched a vicious sexual assault foiled only when a genuine rescuer came to her aid.

Following the guilty verdict, Sheriff Hughes said it had been plain to the jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court how vulnerable the woman was.

He told the court: ‘In my role, I have had several experiences of young women being put out of nightclubs in similar circumstances.

‘No one seems to care how they are going to get home – but are happy to take their money, to feed them with alcohol – but are not prepared to make provisions to allow them to have their phones or money.’

CCTV shown to the jury followed 50-year-old McLellan – who was already on the sex offenders register – as he walked with the woman through the streets to the NCP car park near Glasgow Central station on April 15. 

There, he pounced, seizing his victim, struggling violently with her and pressing himself against her.

Witness Jennifer Ford saw the attack as she arrived in the car park to collect her car and drive home after a work shift.

McLellan then left the scene, while Ms Ford drove the woman to hospital.

The jury found McLellan guilty of sexual assault to injury. 

After the verdict, the hearing was told he been had sentenced at the High Court for sexual assault two months before this attack.

He was put on a community payback order and the sex offenders register for the earlier offence, but not jailed. 

It left him free to re-offend in April.

In May he was recalled to the High Court in relation to the earlier offence and given a 40-month sentence.

Sheriff Hughes said that Ms Ford ‘deserved significant praise’ for her actions in helping the woman and should be ‘commended’.

He branded McLellan ‘a danger to young women in our society’ and said that he was considering remitting the matter to the High Court for sentencing, which was deferred until next month.

McLellan, who appeared in court from custody, was remanded in the meantime.

Bamboo nightclub was contacted for comment.