A WEE COUNTY rapist who threatened women with knives and throttled victims was jailed for eight years last week.

Christian Robson attacked five females in a cruel catalogue of violence that spanned an eight year period.

A judge told Robson at the High Court in Edinburgh: "The charges are so serious that there is no alternative to a custodial sentence."

Lady Carmichael said she was required to consider Robson's culpability in light of his age and maturity at the time of the offending.

The judge said that in sentencing him she took into account that he experienced "very significant trauma" during his childhood.

Robson was told that he will be under supervision for a further three years and will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

The 27-year-old committed the offences at addresses in Alva, Tullibody and Sauchie, in Clackmannanshire, Denny and Auchterarder.

The mother of one teenage victim told his earlier trial that she threatened to kill him after she found out what he had done to her daughter.

She said that she spoke to him during a call and said: "I can't remember the exact words. It was along the lines of 'you dirty, beast b*****d, you raped my daughter'."

The woman added: "When I threatened to kill him and to tell the truth, he admitted it. He said 'yes, I done it' and he was apologetic."

Her daughter was Robson's first victim when he raped her at a house in Alva in 2011 after holding a knife against the 15-year-old.

He attacked a second woman in Tullibody in 2013 and 2014. During one assault he chased her and pinned her against a wall and put his hands around her neck and throttled her.

A third victim was attacked at addresses in Sauchie. She was also throttled by him and he put a knife to her neck. She was also kicked, punched and dragged by the hair.

A fourth woman was assaulted and raped by him at a house in Auchterarder in 2017 when she was pinned to a bed. He put his hands around the victim's neck and compressed it, restricting her breathing.

His final victim was attacked and raped at an address in Denny between 2017 and 2019. During the violence, he brandished a hammer and screwdriver at her and also squeezed her neck.

Robson had denied a string of charges during his trial but was found guilty of eight offences of assault and rape.

The Crown had originally moved that a full risk assessment report should be prepared on him which can lead to the imposition of an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

But Robson's defence counsel, Wendy Hay, argued against the imposition of such an indeterminate sentence.

She said: "He has never been in prison before. The likelihood is he will be compliant with offence-focused work in prison."

She said Robson was the victim of serious trauma from a young age but was now "a candidate for change and rehabilitation".

 

Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline is available, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, on 0800 027 1234. It offers free and confidential service for anyone of any gender who has experienced domestic abuse or forced marriage. The helpline can be emailed at helpline@sdafmh.org.uk (response within 2 days by email), with a Webchat service available 24/7 at www.sdafmh.org.uk

The Rape Crisis Scotland helpline can also be reached via 08088 01 03 02 (between 6pm and midnight every night) or by email at support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk