Possilpark man guilty of raping sleeping women

A Glasgow man’s been convicted of raping three women while they were sleeping.

32 year-old Joseph Gourlay from Possilpark was also found guilty of assaulting a fourth woman with intent to rape her.

As the jury gave their guilty verdicts at the High Court in Glasgow Gourlay turned to friends or family in the public benches and said: “Can you believe that.”

One victim, aged 24, told how she went to a friend's house after a night out and promptly fell asleep on a couch.

Prosecutor Murdo McTaggart told of how Gourlay bent over the sleeping woman, picked her up and carried her to a nearby bedrrom.

The terrified woman woke up to find Gourlay raping her. She was shouting at him: “Get off, get off.”

The court heard that Gourlay also twice raped a 22-year-old woman while she was sleeping.

A third victim a 30-year-old woman woke up to find Gourlay raping her.

She said: “I told him to get off, but he didn't.”

The offences were committed at addresses in Glasgow and Newton Mearns between October 2006 and December 2017.

His fourth victim became very ill after taking drink and drugs and finally collapsed onto a bed a fell asleep.

She woke up to find the accused in bed beside her attempting to rape her.

Throughout his trial Gourlay claimed that all the sex was consensual.

Judge Lord Tyre remanded Gourlay in custody and placed him on the sex offenders' register.

He told him: “You have been convicted of three charges of rape and one of assault with intent to rape. These are very serious offences.”

Lord Tyre called for background reports on Gourlay and will sentence him next month at the High Court in Livingston.

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