Rapist jailed after threats caught on mobile recording
A rapist who was snared after his victim recorded his threats moments before the attack has been jailed for six years.
A rapist who was snared after his victim recorded his threats moments before the attack has been jailed for six years. Aaron Beresford pounced on the terrified woman at a house in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire in March last year. He struck while the 27 year-old mum's children were upstairs. At the High Court in Glasgow judge Sean Murphy QC told Beresford: “You committed one of the most serious offences in criminal law.” Earlier defence counsel Paul Nelson said: “He recognises he has to be sentenced on the basis of the jury decision, but he disagrees with the verdict the ladies and gentlemen returned. Mr Beresford will with his dying breath say he did not do this.” A jury heard how the woman managed to catch on her mobile phone Beresford making a number of vile remarks to her prior to the rape. The voice clip helped bring the 29 year-old to justice. However, Beresford insisted he had been set-up claiming he knew about the recording as the victim had asked him to make the comments. Beresford reacted hysterically after being convicted of rape last month. He shouted before being led handcuffed to the cells: “Rapists are disgusting...I *** hate them. I didn't do any of this.” Yesterday he shouted: “She's a *** liar” as he was led away to begin his sentence. The court heard that Beresford and the woman had been known to each other. He turned up at her door last March 6 , last year, and went on to demand sex including telling the victim: “I will just **** you any way”. The court was told she captured him on her phone – but initially did “not for one second” believe he would carry out the threats. However, Beresford did and the mum recalled trying to push him off. She said: “It did not work...I was telling him no.” The bruised victim eventually got free and slapped her attacker. She later told her mother that she had been raped. Beresford – who denied rape - gave evidence during the trial. He told the court he was aware of the recording as the woman had wanted him to do it – a claim branded “utterly ridiculous” by prosecutors. In his closing speech to the jury, advocate depute Alan MacKay said: “His explanation is an insult to your collective intelligence.”