SpindriftAn undertaker who sexually assaulted an 18-year-old colleague while she was looking after a dead body has been jailed for two years.
James Jarvie, 63, laughed after groping the teenager’s bottom as she weighed the corpse in a mortuary, a trial was told.
He also tormented another female worker, whom he forced to carry out sex acts on him.
The 63-year-old was convicted of the sex attacks at branches of Fosters Funeral Directors in the Greater Glasgow area.
Victims spoke out against Jarvie at the city’s sheriff court.
Jurors heard how he sneaked up on the teen at one of the firm’s parlours.
Describing the November 2023 assault, fiscal Danielle McGuinness said: “The woman was standing at the mortuary register.
“Jarvie approached her from behind and made a beating motion on her bum with both hands.
“She was shocked and asked what he was doing.
“He giggled and turned back around.
“She’d have been 18.”
The young woman told the court how former bank manager Jarvie watched over her, touched her knees and stroked her face inside a private ambulance used by the funeral directors.
He also made a series of sexual comments towards her.
Jarvie, from Rutherglen, near Glasgow, targeted his second victim in April 2023.
The 25-year-old woman was put to work with Jarvie on an on-call basis.
He initially tickled her leg when they were alone in the vehicle.
Later, he brushed against his colleague, touched her waist and slapped her bottom.
The victim recalled: “I think James knew I did not like it.
“But because I didn’t say anything, he knew he could get away with it.”
Jarvie later asked her to touch him intimately, the court was told.
When she refused, he grabbed her by the wrist and forced her to carry out the sex act.
Ms McGuinness added: “She tried to pull back but he had too strong of a grip.”
Jarvie also commented on the woman’s body and told her how much he wanted to kiss her.
On another occasion, he forced her into a corner at another funeral parlour.
He exposed her and molested her, causing her to “just freeze”.
Jarvie then made her perform a sex act on him.
In another incident, he groped her and performed a solo act.
Ms McGuinness told jurors how the victim was “petrified” to speak out as she had just started in the job and feared she would not be listened to.
The prosecutor added: “He was older.
“He had been a respected bank manager.
“She did not want people to say she was making it up.
“She did not think people would believe her.”
Jarvie’s behaviour ended after he tried to kiss the woman and she told him to stop.
He was convicted of two sex assault charges and two of directing sexual verbal communication between April and November 2023.
Sheriff Tony Kelly imposed indefinite non-harassment orders which prohibit his contact with the victims.
Jarvie was also placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.
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