Rapist attacked disabled neighbour in her own home

A CONVICTED rapist armed with a knife launched a horrific sex attack on a 63-year-old disabled neighbour, a court was told yesterday.

David Reid, 59, from Edinburgh, raped the woman, who has arthritis and walks with a stick, in her own home.

At the High Court in Glasgow judge Lord Clark told Reid, who was previously jailed for ten years for rape and attempted rape in 1998: “This is an extremely disturbing sexual assault and rape of a neighbour. These were very shocking events.”

The court heard that unemployed Reid knocked on the front door of the woman’s house at 8am.

The case was heard at Glasgow High Court yesterday. Picture: John Devlin

His victim, who was expecting a delivery that day, answered her front door and was confronted by Reid standing there.

The court was told he was evidently drunk and clutching a bottle of whisky.

Reid asked the woman if she wanted a drink and when she declined, he became angry and aggressive and pulled a knife from his pocket and threatened her.

He grabbed the terrified and sobbing woman by the throat, forcibly kissed her on the lips and snarled: “If you don’t shut up I’ll slit your throat.”

Reid then forced her to the ground in the hallway of the house and threatened to sexually assault her before raping her in a bedroom.

At one point during her ordeal he asked her if she had any appointments that day. When she stated she was going to see her mother, Reid replied: “You won’t see your mum today... you have to do everything I say.”

The court heard that she was sobbing and kept asking him: “Why are you doing this?”

The woman eventually managed to escape her attacker and ran out into the street screaming for help.

Reid chased after her and threatened her, but neighbours who heard the commotion quickly came to her rescue.

At the High Court in Glasgow Reid admitting raping the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at her home in Edinburgh, on October 30, last year.

Prosecutor David Taylor told the jury: “Prior to this they only had a few conversations in passing. She only knew the accused by his first name.

“He had previously asked her out, but she had declined.”

The woman was found to have extensive bruising on her neck and face, her left arm and lower back and scratches to her neck.

The court heard that Reid has a litany of serious convictions dating from 1978 to 2016. This includes having sex with a girl aged between 13 and 16 in 1978, attempted rape in 1988 and two rapes and an attempted rape in 1998. He has also breached the sexual offences act by failing to abide by the notification requirements.

Reid, who is in custody, was placed on the sex offenders’ register and sentence was deferred until next month.

Defence QC Brian McConnachie will give his plea in mitigation then.