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A Lewis rapist has been jailed for 11 years.

 

Richard Baker waged a culture of fear and intimidation against three women over an eight year period at various locations in the Western Isles.

 

Baker - who variously worked on the island as a mechanic, fisherman and plant operator - denied all charges against him and had lodged a special defence claiming any sexual contact was with consent.

The 31-year-old was found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

 

A jury of six women and nine men convicted him of nine charges of physically and sexually abusing the women.

 

Baker returned to court for sentencing today.

 

Judge Sean Murphy QC said Baker showed “no sympathy or remorse” for the “very serious and appalling combination of offences.”

 

Instructing he be supervised for four years following his release from prison, the judge said Baker posed a risk of carrying out similar offences.

 

During the trial prosecutor Allan Nicol said Baker abused the women in “compelling similar ways.”

 

When he wanted sex “he just did it” and raped his victims.

 

He would “shout and swear and just do it anyway.”

 

One woman told the trial Baker was not someone “you would want to cross.”

 

She was “coerced” into having sex and was “screaming, crying, humiliated” at being raped the jury heard.

 

Baker also “slapped her quite a lot,” once injuring her with a knife. He burnt her thumbs with a lighter and dragged her on a further occasion, the court was told.

 

A number of times he headbutted his second victim. He squeezed her throat, punched her and dragged her by the hair, and repeatedly raped her the jusy heard.

 

A third victim called him a “controlling, nasty sexual predator.”

Island rapist jailed for attacking three woman  

12 February 2018