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A Western Isles woman told a jury she was “terrified” and thought she was “either going to get my throat cut or raped” when a knife was held to her neck.

 

Kevin Booth, 40, of 106 Plasterfield, by Stornoway, denies intending to rape a woman in November last year .

 

He is accused of pushing her against a freezer, holding a knife to her neck, pulling down her lower clothing and striking her on the face with a bottle.

 

Giving evidence during the trial at Stornoway Sheriff Court, the woman said Booth had followed her into the kitchen of a house and “in a split second he had a knife at the side of my throat trying to pull the top of my trousers down.”

 

 

Later, she agreed with defence lawyer John McLeod she lied about not knowing Booth would be at the house.

 

She “struggled” and managed to get the knife away from her neck, she told procurator fiscal Karen Smith.

 

The witness said she went behind another male and Booth then “held up the knife and tried to go for” him.

 

She woman told defence lawyer John McLeod she hit Booth on the face with a cup

and agreed it broke when it struck him.

 

“Blood splattered on my face,” as a result she told the solicitor.

 

Then a small cider bottle “got launched” from Booth’s direction, hitting her on the nose, added the woman.

 

Booth was put out of the house and she and the other man were walking behind him when “some boys” arrived and fought with Booth, she told the procurator fiscal.

 

The woman denied making up a story as an excuse over a separate incident where she was accused of pushing Booth to the ground for others to assault.

 

Defence solicitor John McLeod maintained she was “flip flopping all over the place” by denying the pair were in contact before meeting in person that day.

 

She insisted she was unaware Booth would be there, stressing he did not have her number beforehand and they only exchanged contact details after she arrived.

 

The lawyer went through a series of mobile phone calls and texts made from each of their phones.

 

Mr McLeod said: “There’s plainly a two way conversation.”

 

The woman said she “must have seen him earlier that day” but said she was unsure.

 

The lawyer said: “You now accept you lied when you said you didn’t know Kevin would be there until you got there.“

 

“Yes,” replied the witness.

 

Booth, 40, denies the charge.

 

The trial in front of Sheriff James Scott continues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Islander denies intent to rape charge

11 November 2015