Paul Edwardson 23

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A FORMER pipe band member guilty of sex attacks on three women has been jailed for eight years.

Paul Edwardson preyed on his victims including one who was forced to fake a panic to get him away.

The 23-year-old claimed the women had lied and that there had been a plot to get him locked up.

Edwardson was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.

He had earlier been convicted of raping two of the young women and assaulting the other with intent to rape.

He pleaded guilty before the trial to having underage sex with a teenage girl.

The offences occurred between 2017 and 2021 mainly at Edwardson's home in Dumbarton.

Sentencing, Lord Scott said he had read a powerful statement from one of the women describing the "significant impact" the ordeal has had on her.

The judge told Edwardson: "Referring to all that she has had to go through - because of you - she has said this whole process has been dehumanising, draining and confusing.

"She mentioned the impact not only on her, but her family and friends whose support has helped her so much.

"This has ensured that she has become a survivor rather than simply another of your victims."

Lord Scott added Edwardson had continued to make "vain protestations of innocence" and that he had "hinted of some sort of conspiracy" against him.

The first offender will also be supervised for two years on his release.

He was further placed on the sex offenders list indefinitely and banned from contacting the three women jurors convicted him of attacking.

The first rape victim was attacked after she had fallen asleep.

In his closing speech, prosecutor John McElroy KC stated: "She was pinned down by her wrists, she told him to stop, he was not listening and he had sex with her."

The next victim was preyed upon after she had also started to fall asleep.

Mr McElroy said: "She did not want sex. It takes her faking a panic attack to put him off."

This victim told the trial she had been insistent with Edwardson.

She added: "One obvious way was me telling him I did not to - I told him multiple times.

"If that was not coming across then I had to take extra measures to do something."

After the intent to rape attack, the young woman was described by a friend as "distraught" and "speaking at 100mph".

The jury heard of texts where the victim confronted Edwardson about what happened.

He stated: "I am so sorry. I did not even think."

The other rape victim said she had no recollection of having any sexual contact.

Mr McElroy stated: "The last thing she can remember before waking up naked on top of a bare mattress is going to bed because she was drunk."

Jurors heard evidence Edwardson went on to wash the victim and her clothes, said to have been in a bid to "hide the evidence" of what he did.

Edwardson claimed at trial the women "told lie after lie".

Mr McElroy added: "I suggest that you would be entitled to the view this is a desperate claim by a desperate man."

It was also heard during the trial how creepy Edwardson would talk about his late mum and show photos of her grave in an apparent attempt at getting young women to feel sorry for him.