A brother and sister have been convicted over an attack on a group of schoolgirls in Dundee that led to one of them brandishing an axe and knife in footage that went viral worldwide — with police now admitting their initial account of the incident “did not fully reflect the situation.”
Ilia Belov, 22, was found guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court of behaving in a “threatening or abusive manner” towards four girls aged between 12 and 14, and of assaulting a 12-year-old by pushing her to the ground, following the incident in the Lochee area of the city on 23 August last year. His sister, Nadjedzha Belova, 20, had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old girl by pulling her hair, dragging her to the ground and striking her on the head.
The court heard that 12-year-old Lola Moir, nicknamed “Sophie of Dundee” online, had been walking with her older sister Ruby and three friends to a bus stop when Belov made sexual remarks towards her, repeatedly saying: “Come here sexy, I’ll show you how to have a good time.” After one of the girls called him a creep, Belov confronted the group and phoned his sister, who arrived and attacked Ruby, pulling her hair, dragging her to the ground and kicking her in the head. Belov then pushed Lola to the ground. It was only after this that Lola produced a knife and axe from her waistband — the moment captured in the footage that subsequently spread across social media.
Belov told the court the girls had made “cheeky remarks” and that one had called him a “f***ing migrant,” denying he had said “hello sexy” or “I’ll show you a good time,” telling the court: “No, I swear on my god.” He claimed he had seen a knife under the girl’s t-shirt and pushed her because he believed she “was going to do something.”
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith rejected Belov’s account, describing his evidence as “neither credible nor reliable” and “wholly unconvincing and self-serving.” The sheriff told Belov directly: “The trigger for all this were the comments that you made,” and praised the girls as “eloquent” witnesses. Prosecutor Michael Robertson had pressed Belov on why, as the adult in the situation, he had phoned his sister rather than the police or simply walked away. “You were the adult in this situation, you could have just walked away couldn’t you?” Robertson asked. Belov replied: “You are right. I needed to know why they are disrespecting me for no reason.” Asked again why he called his sister instead of police, he said: “I thought we were in danger.”
The case had become a flashpoint for wider debate in the days after the original incident, after Police Scotland issued a statement saying a “Bulgarian couple were approached by youths in St Ann Lane, Dundee,” which was widely interpreted as suggesting the siblings had been the victims. Footage of the girl brandishing the axe and knife spread rapidly online, drawing attention from Elon Musk, while commentators including Tommy Robinson highlighted the case. Then-First Minister John Swinney accused Musk of trying to “undermine” social cohesion in Scottish communities, while pro-independence outlet The National characterised online discussion of the incident as “far-right misinformation.” Former First Minister Humza Yousaf wrote at the time: “But Stephen-Yaxley Lennon (Tommy Robinson) and his racist far-right mob told me migrants tried to sexually assault the girls? Who would have guessed the far-right were full of bulls**t?”
Following Thursday’s conviction, Tayside divisional commander Chief Superintendent Elaine Logue acknowledged the force’s initial statement had been misleading. “This was a distressing incident and led to understandable community concern and significant speculation across social media, including misinformation that Belov and Belova are asylum seekers,” she said, according to the Scotsman. “The incident is an example of the complex situations which officers are required to deal with and I recognise initial information did not fully reflect the situation. I want to be clear that officers investigate circumstances fully, and without fear or favour, as illustrated by today’s outcome.”
Speaking to The Sun and BBC Scotland News, the girls’ mother said she felt vindicated by the verdict. “I’m so relieved the whole story has finally come out,” she said. “It’s been heartbreaking. They told the truth from the start but no-one believed them. Everyone was more focused on the axe than anything else so didn’t listen to what really happened. They were telling the truth and they were slandered. There were too many lies at the start, so I’m glad it’s all come out.”
Belov and Belova are due to be sentenced at Dundee Sheriff Court on 5 August.
