Latest Offenders Ayrshire

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A man who raped a student hours after attacking another woman has been jailed for eight years and eight months.

Thomas Robertson raped the 21-year-old as she walked home from a friend's flat in Stirling in February.

The victim feared she was going to die as Robertson held a lump of concrete over her head during the attack.

Robertson, who has previous convictions for robbery, pled guilty to charges of rape and assault with intent to rape.

Robertson, 27, was told by judge Lord Boyd he posed a danger to the public and was ordered to be monitored in the community for five years after his release.

Escaped and hid

The High Court in Glasgow heard that the 21-year-old was attacked at about 02:30 on 3 February.

She was at an underpass near the Customs Roundabout in Stirling when Robertson struck.

Prosecutor Gillian Ross said: "She thought she was not going to escape with her life."

The court heard that hours earlier, Robertson, of Saltcoats, Ayrshire, attacked a 22-year-old woman.

She had also been heading to her home in Stirling around 23:00 on 2 February when Robertson grabbed her in Bridgehaugh Road.

Robertson repeatedly punched the woman, then pulled her towards bushes, covered her mouth and brandished a length of wood at her.

The woman escaped and hid until she managed to call the police.

Defence QC Brian McConnachie said: "He has a significant record, but not for anything sexual up until now. He realises his offending has spiralled out of control."

Lord Boyd told Robertson: "In the course of a few hours you subjected your victims to significant sexual attacks with significant violence and threats."