Rapist told he faces 'significant jail sentence'

Stuart Young first struck at the home of a 64-year-old woman who had offered to let him sleep on a sofa after he claimed he had nowhere to sleep that night.

Young, who is 41, subjected her to a sexual assault during which he threatened to rape her and exposed himself in her home.

The woman told the High Court in Edinburgh that she had given him pillows and blankets to sleep on a couch in the living room at her flat.

But when she later opened her bedroom door he was standing outside with his underwear below his knees and was performing a sex act on himself.

The woman told the court: “It was surreal. It just didn't seem right.”

She said he later tried to get into her bed and told her: “Well, I will just have to rape you then.”

She managed to get him out of her home after he had “started gyrating in a sexual manner” against her.

Young, of Church Street, Eyemouth, in Berwickshire, had denied assaulting the woman, along with a series of other charges.

But he was found gu ilty of sexually assaulting the woman with intent to rape her in December 2016. Young was also found guilty of attacking and raping a second woman in 2019 and 2020.

During assaults on the woman at an address in Peebles he rubbed faeces on her face and put a pillow over her head, restricting her breathing on one occasion.

He also sexually assaulted a third woman in April 2021, who he molested and touched and exposed her breasts.

After a jury returned guilty verdicts against him on four charges, Young bowed his head and sobbed.

The trial judge, Lady Haldane, told him: “You have been convicted of a series of sexual offences against three women.”

She added: “There is no doubt these offences will attract a significant custodial sentence.”

The judge adjourned sentencing on Young for the preparation of a background report.

Young, who was on bail during his trial, was remanded in custody. He was placed on the sex offenders' register.