EK rapist who attacked two women on Christmas nights out is jailed for 10 years

Jun 27 2012 by Andrea O'Neill, East Kilbride News

A SEX predator from East Kilbride has been caged for 10 years for carrying out brutal sex attacks on two women after a Christmas night out.

Depraved Scott Kerr, 22, who is originally from Gardenhall, was drunk following a night out with workmates in Glasgow city centre when he raped one woman and seriously sexually assaulted another.

The offences took place 15 minutes apart in James Watt Street, close to Broomielaw, on December 21 last year.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, on Friday, the brute was jailed for 10 years and ordered to be supervised for five years following his release.

Passing sentence, Judge Lady Stacey said: Your actions were very violent and very frightening for the women.

You have shown from your behaviour that you are a danger to women.

The call centre worker had pled guilty to one charge of rape and another charge of sexual assault claiming he had no recollection of committing them.

He wept as Lady Stacey told him he was going to prison.

An earlier hearing at the High Court in Glasgow heard how Kerrs sick behaviour had come as a shocking surprise to his family and friends.

Kerr, who originally comes from East Kilbride, but was working and living in Dundee, had returned to Glasgow for a conference and Christmas night out.

He went to a strip club with friends, then walked off while they returned to their hotel. They tried to phone him, but got no reply.

The court heard that prior to the attacks Kerr, a former pupil of Duncanrig Secondary, was caught on CCTV cameras loitering on James Watt Street for about 40 minutes.

His first victim was a 20-year-old woman walking home from a night out.

When he saw her walking down the street at 3.55am he immediately crossed towards her and walked past her.

CCTV images showed him turning and running after the woman before dragging her off the pavement and into the car park of the Atlantic Quay building.

He knocked her to the ground, pushed her onto her back, and repeatedly attempted to pull down her underwear with intent to rape her.

She was dragged further into the car park as she struggled and screamed and tried to get her boots off to use as a weapon.

After perverted Kerr sexually assaulted the woman, who was described as hysterical, she raised the alarm by flagging down a passing taxi driver.

The second attack on a 22-year-old woman happened 15 minutes later.

The victim was also returning home after a Christmas party when Kerr grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her down a ramp. She screamed and he threatened her life saying: If you scream, I'll f****** kill you.

The court heard that the rape victim had been on the phone to a male friend when Kerr attacked her.

The horrified friend heard Kerr say to the woman in a clear and calm voice that if she screamed he would kill her.

He hung up, then called her number in the hope of attracting passers-by to her plight. But, the mobile was on silent.

The woman was crying and sobbing as Kerr dragged her further down the ramp before raping her.

He walked off and arrived back at his hotel later that morning.

Advocate depute Gillian Wade, prosecuting, took the unusual step of playing explicit footage which showed part of the rape.

Kerr was identified after CCTV images were shown on the news.

The court heard that a number of his work colleagues at Weatherseal phoned police and Kerr handed himself in to a police station in Dundee, although he claimed he knew nothing about either sex attack.

When Kerr was questioned by police he said he had handed himself in to get himself out of the picture, and added it was not in his nature to do something like that.

Defence QC Robert Anthony told the court his client had expressed genuine remorse for the victims.

Mr Anthony also made reference to several letters that had been sent to Lady Stacey from friends, colleagues and relatives of Kerr which showed he had acted out of character.

The court heard he had played for a number of football teams in East Kilbride. His coaches, and his former teachers at Duncanrig said he did not have any behavioural issues.

The sex beast has never served a custodial sentence and has only one previous conviction, for drink-driving.