Scott Miller 39

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Scott Miller, Westlife Tribute Act Member, Jailed for 11 Years After Convictions for Rape and Abuse

Scott Miller, a 39-year-old member of Scotland’s official Westlife tribute band Westlive, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of eight charges, including the rape of two women.

Miller, from Hamilton in Lanarkshire, was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. The offences spanned October 2012 to November 2021, mainly in North Lanarkshire. He had denied the charges. As well as the jail term, Judge Andrew McIntyre ordered him to be supervised for a further three years on release.

Westlive had performed across the UK and Europe and recently supported Blue, Peter Andre and Scouting For Girls at a festival.

Jurors heard that Miller subjected the first victim to a campaign of verbal abuse, shouting and swearing at her, threatening and mocking her, accusing her of infidelity, controlling who she could contact and damaging her phones. The abuse became physical and included choking her until she lost consciousness. He raped her at a hotel in Edinburgh and again at a property in North Lanarkshire.

The second victim was also repeatedly abused. Miller raped her on a number of occasions while she was initially asleep. He threw a bar stool at her, striking her on the head, and was verbally abusive. Other violence included grabbing her and throwing her to the floor, hurling a bottle at her and pushing her so that she fell against a door.

Judge McIntyre described Miller’s attitude as “characterised as ongoing denial, minimisation and blame of others”. Addressing him, the judge said: “Over a period of nine years, you engaged in a course of serious violence and sexual abuse of women. It is plain that it had a profound effect on the women that you targeted. That was evident from their evidence and the victim impact statements that they have submitted. It is clear it caused physical and enduring psychological harm. You continue to blame the women who you abused. They are not to blame – you are.”

One of the victims later described being traumatised by “a smear campaign waged against my name” before the trial. She said: “I was called a liar. My character was dragged through the mud. Stories were told, opinions were formed and people, who had never lived a day in my shoes, were happy to believe the worst of me. I was painted as a psychopath – as someone who had made everything up. Imagine having to live through that abuse only to then have to fight to prove that it happened. I would not wish that on anyone.”

She added: “This was never about revenge. It was about accountability. It was about justice and finally having the truth recognised.”