Bulgarian siblings sentenced for assaulting girls in Dundee

Two Bulgarian siblings who assaulted girls during an incident in Dundee last year which led to a video going viral on social media have been sentenced, with one being added to the sex offenders' register.

Ilia Belov, 23, was convicted of assaulting a 12-year-old girl and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards four girls aged between 12 and 14.

He was found guilty following a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court earlier this year and on Friday 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.

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.

Belova was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work.

Following the incident, a video was widely shared online in which a young girl could be seen brandishing an axe and a knife.

Elon Musk was among those to share the clip, saying the youngster was trying to defend herself.

Police Scotland initially attacked "misinformation" around the video but then went on to say its initial response "did not fully reflect the situation".

Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith had earlier rejected Belov's version of events, describing it as "neither credible nor reliable".

During the trial, the court heard events began when Belov made sexual remarks to a 12-year-old as she walked towards a bus stop with some other girls.

Giving evidence by videolink, the now 14-year-old said: "He kept saying, 'come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time'."

The girl said his words made her feel "dead angry" and she turned around and began shouting at him.

Belov then phoned his sister for back-up, who arrived shortly afterwards and began attacking a 13-year-old member of the group.

In the ensuing fracas, Belov pushed the 12-year-old, who told the court she hit her head on a metal handrail as she fell to the ground.

When she got back to her feet, she pulled out an axe and a knife she said had been hidden in her waistband for five to 10 minutes before the incident.

When the police arrived minutes later, the girl said she dumped the weapons on a nearby roundabout, where they were later recovered by officers.

Belov had denied having made sexualised remarks to the girls, telling the court they had been saying derogatory things.

Sheriff Niven-Smith said it was "inevitable" something would happen when Belov chose to follow the girls, and his actions were "intended to intimidate".

Although the sheriff said his actions were "not pre-planned or pre-meditated", he emphasised that the accused decided to follow a group of female children, causing them fear and trauma.

He stated: "The victims have sustained psychological trauma from your actions."

The sheriff also determined that Belov's comments towards the youngest victim had a "significant sexual aspect".

He added: "The evidence was clear that you came upon (the victims) by happenstance.

"Once you made the remarks, you stopped, turned and followed the girls. You were 22 years old, and a stranger to the girls."

He said the comments Belov made towards the girls was for "sexual gratification".

The sheriff said it was clear the siblings' offences 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".

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Belov's solicitor, Larry Flynn, said his client had been impacted by the widespread attention the case gained in the press and on social media.

The court heard the siblings have found it hard to gain employment in Scotland since the case began, with Belova travelling to the Netherlands for work picking fruit as the case allowed.

However, Sheriff Niven-Smith emphasised that footage Belov took of the girl holding weapons found its way on to the internet.

He said Belov himself, or someone he sent the video to, must have uploaded the footage, and that he became the "author of his own misfortune in that regard".

The sheriff noted that the victims have also been affected by the footage.

Child victims are normally granted a right to anonymity. In this case, Sheriff Niven-Smith noted that images have appeared in the public domain.

Speaking to reporters as he left court, Belov said he had "nothing to say" to the young victims "other than to wish everyone a good life".

"I will continue to be as normal as I was before, look after my family, look after my community and everyone," he added.

Belov told the press that he has lost "many things" as a result of the case.

"It's hard actually. Every one of you have families, and you have to feed children, you have to look after wife and things, and all the pressure on social media has brought everything on me and my life, and my family," he said.

"I will continue to be the man I was before - normal, happy, looking after his children."

A moment later when asked about the victims, he said: "You have to think about that, the girl was wearing weapons too. Can you talk about that?"

Belova's lawyer said in hindsight she has acknowledged she should have called police instead of getting involved herself, and has expressed "embarrassment and regret" since the assault.

Sheriff Niven-Smith recognised why she may have readily attended the scene at the request of her brother, but said it was clear she went "with the intention of assaulting one or more of the girls".

The sheriff said following the incident, one of the girls was "extremely distressed" and "frantic and crying loudly".

(c) Sky News 2026: Bulgarian siblings sentenced for assaulting girls in Dundee