Bulgarian siblings sentenced over Dundee assaults on girls; brother placed on sex offenders register
Ilia Belov, 23, and his sister Nadjedzha Belova, 20, were sentenced at Dundee Sheriff Court over an August 2025 incident in Lochee involving girls aged 12 to 14. Belov received supervision, unpaid work and 18 months on the sex offenders register; Belova received unpaid work.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Two Bulgarian siblings, Ilia Belov, 23, and Nadjedzha Belova, 20, were sentenced on Friday 9 October 2026 at Dundee Sheriff Court over an incident in the Lochee area of Dundee in August 2025. Evening StandardN “Belov’s sister Nadjedzha Belova, 20, earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of assaulting a 13-year-old girl during the same incident, which happened in the Lochee area of the city in August 2025.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “Two Bulgarian nationals who assaulted multiple young girls during an incident in Dundee last year have been sentenced” Read at GB News ↗ Centre · 1Belov, found guilty after a trial earlier this year, was convicted of assaulting a 12-year-old girl and of behaving in a "threatening or abusive manner" towards four girls aged between 12 and 14. Evening StandardN “Ilia Belov, 23, assaulted a 12-year-old girl during the incident and behaved in a “threatening or abusive manner” towards four girls aged between 12 and 14.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Evening StandardN “He was found guilty following a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court earlier this year.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2He was sentenced to 18 months of supervision and 300 hours of unpaid work, and his name was placed on the sex offenders register for 18 months. Evening StandardN “he was sentenced to 18 months of supervision, 300 hours of unpaid work, and had his name placed on the sex offenders register for 18 months.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “he was sentenced to 18 months of supervision, 300 hours of unpaid work, and had his name placed on the sex offenders register for 18 months.” Read at GB News ↗
Mixed · 2Belova, who had pleaded guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old girl during the same incident, was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work. Evening StandardN “She was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work during the same hearing at Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “His sister pleaded guilty to one charge of assaulting a 13-year-old girl during the same incident, and was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work during the same hearing.” Read at GB News ↗ Centre · 1The trial heard that the incident began when Belov made sexual remarks to a 12-year-old walking to a bus stop with other girls; the girl, now 14, told the court by videolink he said: "come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time". Evening StandardN “Belov made sexual remarks to a 12-year-old as she walked towards a bus stop with some other girls.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Evening StandardN “He kept saying, ‘come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time’.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 1Belov then phoned his sister, who arrived shortly afterwards and attacked a 13-year-old member of the group, and in the ensuing fracas Belov pushed the 12-year-old, who said she hit her head on a metal handrail as she fell. Evening StandardN “Belov then phoned his sister, who arrived shortly afterwards and began attacking a 13-year-old member of the group.”“Belov pushed the 12-year-old, who told the court she hit her head on a metal handrail as she fell to the ground.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Mixed · 2The girl said she then pulled out an axe and knife that had been hidden in her waistband for five to 10 minutes, and discarded them on a nearby roundabout when police arrived minutes later, where officers recovered them. Evening StandardN “After standing back up, she pulled out an axe and knife she said had been hidden in her waistband for five to 10 minutes before the incident.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “the girl said she discarded the weapons on a nearby roundabout, where they were later recovered by officers.” Read at GB News ↗ Centre · 1Belov denied making sexualised remarks, saying the girls had been saying derogatory things to him, including calling him a "f****** migrant", and told the court he pushed the girl to protect his sister after seeing a knife under her T-shirt; Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith rejected his account as "neither credible nor reliable". Evening StandardN “Belov claimed he had pushed the girl in order to protect his sister after seeing she had a knife hidden under her T-shirt.”“Sheriff Niven-Smith rejected Belov’s version of events, describing it as “neither credible nor reliable”.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Right · 1In sentencing, Sheriff Niven-Smith said it was "inevitable" something would happen when Belov chose to follow the girls, that his actions were "intended to intimidate" though "not pre-planned or pre-meditated", that the victims suffered psychological trauma, and that his comments to the youngest victim had a "significant sexual aspect" for "sexual gratification". GB NewsR “Sheriff Niven-Smith said it was "inevitable" that something would happen when he chose to follow the girls, and that his actions were "intended to intimidate".”“his comments towards the youngest victim had a "significant sexual aspect" for "sexual gratification".” Read at GB News ↗
Right · 1The sheriff said the offences by both siblings crossed the threshold for imprisonment, but because of their age, work history and lack of other offences he imposed alternative sentences that "primarily considered rehabilitation". GB NewsR “Sheriff Niven-Smith was clear the offences for both Belov and his sister crossed the threshold for imprisonment, but considering their age, work history and lack of other previous or ongoing offences, he imposed an alternative sentence that he said "primarily considered rehabilitation".” Read at GB News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Plain court report, first previewing the sentencing then reporting it, focused on the trial evidence and the sentences.
- Emphasis
- Trial evidence including Belov's claim that he pushed the girl to protect his sister, and the sheriff's rejection of his account.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include the sheriff's sentencing remarks on intimidation, sexual gratification and rehabilitation.
- For example
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“Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith had earlier rejected Belov’s version of events, describing it as “neither credible nor reliable”.” — Evening Standard
“Belov claimed he had pushed the girl in order to protect his sister after seeing she had a knife hidden under her T-shirt.” — Evening Standard
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Leads on the nationality of the offenders and on the girls being leered at, with fuller sentencing remarks.
- Emphasis
- The sheriff's sentencing remarks on intimidation, sexual gratification and trauma, and that the offences crossed the custody threshold.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Belov's claim that he pushed the girl to protect his sister; describes the weapons footage as "alleged".
- Charged language
- “Two Bulgarian nationals”“leering at”
What every side reports
- Ilia Belov, 23, and Nadjedzha Belova, 20, were sentenced at Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday over an August 2025 incident in Lochee.
- Belov got 18 months' supervision, 300 hours' unpaid work and 18 months on the sex offenders register; Belova got 180 hours' unpaid work.
- The 12-year-old girl said she produced an axe and knife during the incident.
Where accounts differ
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What prompted the confrontation and why Belov pushed the girl
- Centre
- Reports Belov's claim that he pushed the girl to protect his sister and that the girls insulted him, and the sheriff's rejection of it as "neither credible nor reliable".
- Right
- Reports Belov's denial and the sheriff's rejection, but not his claim of protecting his sister.
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre3 articles
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Bulgarian siblings who assaulted girls in Dundee due to be sentenced
Neutral Pre-sentencing preview summarising trial evidence, including Belov's defence.
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Bulgarian siblings sentenced after assaulting girls in Dundee
Neutral Straight report of the sentences with trial background.
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Right2 articles
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GB NewsR ·
Two Bulgarian nationals sentenced after leering at and assaulting teenage girls
Critical Highlights nationality and the sheriff's strongest remarks on the sexual aspect and intimidation.
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- 9 Oct 02:45 First Evening StandardN Bulgarian siblings who assaulted girls in Dundee due to be sentenced
- 9 Oct 11:46 +9h Evening StandardN Bulgarian siblings sentenced after assaulting girls in Dundee
- 9 Oct 14:06 +11h 20m GB NewsR Two Bulgarian nationals sentenced after leering at and assaulting teenage girls
- 9 Oct 14:15 +11h 30m Evening StandardN Bulgarian siblings sentenced for attack leading to knife girl video in Dundee
- 9 Oct 14:37 +11h 52m Daily MailR Bulgarian factory worker who called girl, 12 'sexy' then assaulted her is handed community order - after she was arrested when he filmed her with an axe and accused her of racism
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.