Muslim Gunman Offered Camper Money for His Girlfriend

A Muslim man who described himself as a 'computer geek' has been convicted of holding a young couple at gunpoint and offering the man money to have sex with his 16-year-old girlfriend - then sniffing her knickers when he was turned down.

An IT worker has been convicted of offering money to have sex with a young camper and sniffing a pair of her pants while in possession of a fake gun.

Self-confessed computer geek Karim Bourouba, 29, was said to have slipped into a "world of fantasy" after drinking two bottles of champagne.

He took the imitation handgun with him to Edinburgh's Calton Hill where he met Liam Harrison, 20, and his 16 year old girlfriend after tripping over their tent on the night of 23rd May last year.

He offered Mr Harrison money to have sex with his girlfriend, who cannot be identified, then sniffed her underpants, causing fear and alarm to the couple.

Bourouba was today found guilty of breach of the peace and a firearms offence by a jury after a seven-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The jury found charges alleging he had assaulted and robbed the couple of the underpants "not proven".

He will be sentenced next month after background reports and a risk assessment, and could be placed on the sex offenders' register.

Bourouba, a Napier University graduate, had admitted buying the gun – the same one as his favourite computer game character used – over the internet weeks before the incident, but denied ever taking it out of the house.

The software writer, from William Street, Edinburgh, had been at a work party where he drank champagne and vodka before going to Calton Hill.

He said he was under stress at work and wanted "somewhere quiet" to clear his head.

Bourouba then returned to the home he shared with his long term girlfriend around 11.30pm but went out again a short time later and returned to Calton Hill, taking the gun with him.

After tripping over a guy rope on his tent, Bourouba offered Mr Harrison money to have sex with his girlfriend then sniffed her underpants.

They claimed he pointed a gun at Mr Harrison and threatened to shoot him unless the girl handed over her underpants.

The pair then left the hill with Bourouba, and Mr Harrison accompanied him to a shop in Nicolson Square to buy cigarettes.

During the trip, Bourouba gave Mr Harrison his mobile phone number and said he might be able to help him find a job.

Mr Harrison fled and called police, who traced Bourouba using the phone number.

When questioned by police about the incident days later, Bourouba initially denied having been at the hill, but later admitted lying.

He confessed to having an "unhealthy interest" in computer games, including Metal Gear Solid 4, which he had pre-ordered online.

Fiscal depute Aidan Higgins, prosecuting, told the jury: "This has indeed been a very strange case".

"Karim Bourouba was a very drunk man who had taken himself up Calton Hill for the second time in a few hours.

"He was under pressure and stress, life was getting him down, he was very drunk, he had an unhealthy interest in computer games, and Metal Solid Gear Four filled his thoughts and talk at the time.

"He bought this gun to give him a link with the character in the game.

"In the early hours of May 23, with only a little change, a 10 euro note, and this imitation firearm on him, drink and stress took Karim Bourouba from the real word into a world of fantasy.

"He took on a new character and merged computer game fantasies with sexual fantasies.

"Up there on Calton Hill, Karim Bourouba checked out of reality for a while."

Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill called for background reports on the first offender and allowed him to remain on bail.