Inverness Rapist Jailed For City Attacks

An alcoholic monster who repeatedly raped a 36-year-old woman after threatening to murder her, has been jailed for five and a half years.

Vincent Spears choked the woman and ordered her to strip naked before subjecting her to what a judge called "a terrifying, humiliating and prolonged attack".

Judge Lady Wolffe said at the High Court in Livingston that it was clear from the victim's evidence at trial that she had been "traumatised" by the horrifying sexual abuse by Spears.

She imposed an extended sentence on Spears, which means that - in addition to the five and a half year prison sentence - he will remain under social work supervision for two years after his release.

The 52-year-old unemployed drunk, who has spent most of his adult life in custody, was told that his name will remain on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

He was also warned that if he failed to comply with any part of the supervision order after his eventual release he would be recalled to prison.

A jury earlier returned a majority verdict finding Spears guilty of brutally raping the "vulnerable" woman at his flat in Knocknagel, Slackbuie, in the Highland capital.

They found him not guilty of assaulting another woman at knife-point with intent to rape her at a guest house in Inverness in March 2009.

But they convicted him of the rapes after hearing how he invited his vulnerable victim back to his home for "a drink and a chat" on the evening of October 31, 2013.

The woman, who can't be named for legal reasons, told how he confined her there against her will, kissed her on the mouth and touched her breasts.

She said he pushed her onto a couch put his hands around her neck and choked her, telling her he would kill her if she didn't stay and do as he said.

Barney Ross QC, defending, said his client who denied both charges, continued to maintain his innocence but accepted that the court would sentence him on the basis of the jury's verdict.

He said: "Most of his life has been spent incarcerated in one form or another. There have been something like 40 custodial sentences imposed, not ever for something as serious as this.

"The rather grim story that these statistics tell reflects what is by Mr Spears' own admission, a life spent in thrall to an illness, a form of alcohol dependency that he's never been able properly to address and which he certainly understands to be at the root of all his difficulties and problems."

He said Spears had given clear instructions that he was willing to co-operate with any programmes designed to address his alcoholism and promote his rehabilitation.

Passing sentence, judge Lady Wolffe told Spears he had been been found guilty after trial of the repeated rape of a vulnerable young woman.

She said: "She was not known to you but you and she had seen each other about as you then lived in the same area. "On the day in question you had suggested she join you in your flat for a drink and a chat, an invitation she was incapable of refusing due to her own issues with regard to alcohol.

"Once there you put your hands around her neck and you threatened to kill her.

"You compelled her to undress and you repeatedly raped her during the course of the evening.

"It was a terrifying, humiliating and prolonged attack on her. She was only able to escape the next morning after you had fallen asleep."

Although his victim had not provided a victim impact statement, the judge said it was clear from her evidence that she had been "deeply traumatised" by the experience.

She went on: "You have an extensive record of offending as far back as 1976.

"You've committed a variety of crimes, from road traffic offences, numerous crimes of dishonesty and breach of court orders, at one point perverting the course of justice.

"It concerns me that you also have three convictions for crimes of violence. Your first conviction for assault was in 1985, your second conviction was in 1988, and in 2004 you pled guilty on indictment to assault to injury. Each of these was serious enough to merit a custodial sentence.

"In the light of your record and the nature of the crime of which you've been convicted I called for criminal justice social work reports regarding an extended sentence.

"I've had regard to three criminal justice social work reports prepared.

"You're noted as having no remorse for what you've been convicted of and of having little insight into your actions and their repercussions on others.

"You continue to deny responsibility and appear to have no understanding of the impact of your offending behaviour on the complainer or on society in general.

"You have a record of prolific offending, and this was progressing to sexual violence. "You're assessed at being of significant risk of harm to others. In particular you're assessed as being predatory, and targeting - and posing a risk to - vulnerable young females in the community.

"You pose a medium risk of further sexual offending and a very high risk for committing further violence.

"You have spent the majority of your life in some form of custody, having already served some 40 custodial sentences.

"You are described as being 'in thrall' to alcohol dependency and have some mental health issues too.

"I have determined that there is no alternative to a custodial sentence, and this was accepted on your behalf as was the prospect of a substantial sentence.

"However, I've also considered the level of risk you may pose to the public and have concluded an extended sentence is essential to manage the serious risk you pose on your release from custody."

She said the sentence took into account the nine months Spears had already spent on remand before conviction.

Commenting on the sentence, Detective Inspector Andy Logan of Public Protection Unit said: "This was an extremely distressing incident for the victim and we commend her bravery in coming forward to allow an investigation and conviction to take place. We would also extend our gratitude to all witnesses who assisted us with this enquiry. "This harrowing case was brought to conclusion by Divisional CID officers with assistance from The Divisional Rape Investigation Unit, a specialist unit dedicated to robustly and sensitively investigate rape cases in the north, bringing perpetrators to justic and supporting victims and their families."