Convicted Rapist Jailed for Sex Attack on Vulnerable Woman

A convicted rapist who carried out a "despicable" sex attack on a vulnerable woman while out on licence from a previous sentence was jailed for 12 years today. A judge told James Haran, 48, at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You are clearly a dangerous sexual predator." Haran, who was previously jailed for eight years with a further four-year supervision order in 2002 for rape and attempted rape, attacked his latest victim in her home in the Drumchapel area of Glasgow on April 7 this year. Once inside the woman's flat Haran pushed her and she fell onto a couch. He lay on top of her and put his hands over mouth and took off items of her clothing and dragged her into a bedroom. She told Haran's trial that he suddenly demanded sex with her. She said: "I kept saying 'no', but he took no notice." Haran sexually assaulted the woman and carried out a sex act during the attempted rape ordeal. Neighbours told the court that after the attack the victim was hysterical and shaking and could hardly speak. Haran's DNA was found on the woman's body and hers was found under his fingernails. He had denied the offence but was earlier found guilty of the rape bid by a jury. Judge Kenneth Maciver told him: "The crime in respect of which you have been convicted by the jury was a despicable sexual assault on a vulnerable and somewhat infirm 64-year-old woman in her own home." Haran had called at the woman's home in the later evening and when he was allowed in launched the attack on her. The judge said: "Having been invited in you took advantage of her hospitality and her trust and you carried out an attack which has had a lasting effect on her." The victim felt she had to leave her long-term home, where she had been happy and settled and had fond memories, in the wake of the sex assault. The judge said that Haran's previous offending disclosed "alarming similarities" as the offences he was previously jailed for involved serious sex attacks on victims in their homes. He added that Haran, described as a prisoner in Glasgow's Barlinnie jail, remained in "total denial" about his previous sex convictions and the position was the same for his latest crime. The judge said that the sex attacker was "undeterred" in his latest crime by the fact that he was still on licence from the 12-year extended sentence imposed on him in 2002. He said that he required to both punish Haran for a serious sexual offence and to protect the public when he comes to be released. Mr Maciver ordered that Haran should also be kept under supervision for a further five years as well as sentencing him to 12 years' imprisonment. He said it was on "a narrow balance" that he had come down in favour of imposing a lengthy extended sentence on Haran rather an Order for Lifelong Restriction. Defence solicitor advocate John Carroll said that Haran did not feel that he should have been convicted of the latest offence. He asked the court to be as lenient as possible with his client. Haran was placed on the sex offenders' register for life.