Christopher Robertson 42

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A former soldier from Lanarkshire who claimed he had consumed nearly 30 alcoholic drinks before he carried out a sex attack on a young woman was today jailed for five years.

Christopher Robertson began molesting the woman after she fell asleep and raped her after she awoke during the ordeal at his former home in Airdrie.

The woman had been at a nightclub with friends before going on to a party, but decided to go home.

Robertson, 39, had also been out a pub with friends and contacted her while she was trying to get a taxi and they went back to his then-home.

She said she was tired and needed to go home but he suggested that she sleep at his house. She woke to find him lying on top of her subjecting her to an assault.

The woman was in a state of extreme distress when she spoke to witnesses following the attack on her.

Robertson, formerly of Mavisbank Street in Airdrie, had denied raping the woman during an earlier trial but was convicted of the offence committed on December 9, 2017.

During the attack he pulled down the lower clothing and underwear of the woman, who was 15 years younger than him, lay on top of her and molested her and after she wakened, raped her.

Judge Lord Boyd of Duncansby told Robertson: “You continue to deny your guilt and suggest that the complainer herself instigated sex.”

He said he had no doubt that the effects of Robertson’s offence will live with the victim for some time to come.

The judge told Robertson that he would be placed on the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period following his sentencing.

The court heard that Robertson had drunk 10 pints of lager, six Jack Daniels and Coke, eight shots of Jagermeister and several bottles of Budweiser.

Robertson claimed that he went to bed as he was tired and that the woman joined him and they started kissing before having sex.

He claimed that he fell asleep and was not aware of the woman leaving the house. He said: “The next thing I remember was waking up with four CID officers in the room.

“They said there had been an allegation of rape against me. I said: ‘Are you f****** kidding me?’”

Defence solicitor advocate John Keenan said: “It would have to be accepted he was significantly under the influence of alcohol at the time this offence was committed.”

Mr Keenan said it was “a very serious offence” and Robertson appreciated that a prison sentence was inevitable.

He said the construction industry worker had previously served in the army for four years and did two tours of duty as a soldier in Iraq.

Robertson followed the sentencing proceedings at the High Court in Edinburgh via a video link to Barlinnie prison in Glasgow.