Man, 34, who attacked boy before he drowned in 'punishment swim' now jailed for raping and threatening two women in Edinburgh and Midlothian

A man who participated in the savage assault of a vulnerable teenager has now been jailed for eight years for raping and threatening two women.

Tobias Davies, 34, attacked his two victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at locations in Edinburgh and Midlothian between December 2016 and May 2018.

The High Court in Edinburgh also heard how Davies had sent distressing phone messages to the women which threatened them over a period of several months.

He was finally brought to justice after the women plucked up enough courage to speak to the police about his activities.

The High Court in Edinburgh.

On Thursday, judge Lord Boyd told Davies that he had no other option but to send him to prison for the attacks.

He told Davies, a prisoner of HMP Edinburgh, that after being released from custody, he would be supervised by the authorities for two years following his release from custody.

“In both sexual assaults, the concept of consent - in the sense of free and active agreement from the complainers -was something which was conspicuously missing.

“The abusive behaviour to which you subjected the complainers to was persistent, concerning and alarming.

“The charges to which you have been convicted of are serious charges and when passing sentence, I must have regard to ensuring the safety of the public and indeed the safety of the women.

“The effect of the sentence imposed on you means that you will serve eight years in custody and you will be subject to supervision for a further two years after you have been released from prison.”

Davies had been found guilty of the offences following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier this year. Sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain reports.

It is not the first time that Davies has appeared in court.

Savage attack on teen

Davies originally comes from the Midlands. He was 20 when he attacked 16-year-old Shane Owoo for stealing a bike in the Boswell Road area of Bilston, near Wolverhampton, in September 2007.

The youngster was then taken to nearby Lunt Pool, forced to jump in and was prevented from getting out by two other attackers who beat him with sticks and stones until he drowned.

Davies was initially charged with manslaughter but the charge was dropped when he pleaded guilty to assault. He was jailed for 12 months but was released on the day of sentencing having already served 13 months in prison on remand.

The two men who forced the boy into the flooded clay pit and watched him drown, Christopher Lewis and Marvin Walker, were jailed for five-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Prosecutors said the pair were “vigilantes” who had taken the law into their own hands.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that although Davies had carried out the initial attack on Shane, he was not involved in the incident at the poolside.

The court also heard how about a dozen people stood by and watched as the teenager - who was not a strong swimmer - tried desperately to escape from the water.

On Wednesday, at the High Court in Edinburgh, defence solicitor advocate Krista Johnston told Lord Boyd that her client suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The court heard that Davies had developed the condition after falling victim to an assault in 2017.

Ms Johnston also told the court that her client had a troubled childhood.

She added: “He is a 34-year-old man who was brought up in an environment where there was an absence of good role models. He had to grow up quickly. He faced a lot of challenges.”

However, Lord Boyd told Davies that he had no other option but to send him to prison.

Detective Inspector Steven McMillan, of the Public Protection Unit, said: “We welcome the sentence handed down to Tobias Davies, who conducted what truly was a disgusting course of abusive behaviour, including serious sexual abuse, towards two women.“It is clear that Davies is an extremely controlling and dangerous individual, who will now justly face the consequences of his appalling actions.“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the victims for their bravery in facing the trauma they’ve experienced and coming forward to assist our investigation. I hope that this sentencing provides the victims with some closure and goes some way to giving others the confidence and courage to speak out.“Police Scotland will robustly investigate any and all sexual crimes reported to us and we want victims to know that they are not alone. We encourage you to contact police or seek support and advice from one of our partner agencies. Together, we can support you through those next steps and ensure the abuse you are facing is brought to an end.”

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