West Lothian prisoner claims he was raped by inmate in prison cell

A prisoner from West Lothian has told a jury how a fellow inmate raped him in his prison cell.

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Addiewell Prison where the alleged rape took placeAddiewell Prison where the alleged rape took place
Addiewell Prison where the alleged rape took place

The 23-year-old man, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, claims Gerald McLeish jumped on him in Addiewell Prison after offering him tablets of anti-psychotic drugs.

He said the accused pinned him to the bed, held his wrists together above his head with one hand and forcibly put his penis in his mouth.

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He said he did not scream for help because he was afraid of being branded “a chicken” by other convicts.

Giving evidence from behind a screen at the High Court in Livingston today, he said: “I was going to shout for help.

“I was kicking the wall hoping someone would hear me.”

The witness claimed McLeish had drugged him with a spiked drink of juice before sexually assaulting him two weeks before the alleged rape.

He said the earlier incident happened after the accused, who he did not know well, invited him into his cell in the prison’s hall for a smoke and a chat.

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He told the jury: “He was going on about if me and him were good friends, something about ultimate pleasure and all that stuff.

“I took it that he was coming on to me. I told him I don’t swing that way.

“I got a drink of juice off him then I started feeling a bit dopey. My heart was racing and I felt dizzy.

“Gerald then leaned towards me he tried to kiss me on the lips. I leaned back and told him I wasn’t really into that. He seemed OK with it.

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“Gerald said that I should be more open minded that I should do this for the fun and pleasure we would have.

“I backed away from him, but then he put his hand down my trousers and touched (me).

“I was freaked out and kept telling him to f**k off.

“He seemed very relaxed initially, but after me saying ‘I didn’t want it’, he started getting aggressive. I saw that in his face.”

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Brian McConnachie, the witness denied he had been in a consensual gay relationship with the accused for some time.

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He rejected suggestions he was a regular visitor to McLeish’s cell and they performed consensual sexual acts on each other.

The inmate also denied telling other prisoners he had made up the rape and sexual assault allegations in order to get criminal injury compensation cash.

McLeish, 32, is charged with orally raping and sexually assaulting the 23 year-old and sexual assaulting three other prisoners in May and June 2016.

He denies all the charges and has lodged a special defence claiming any sexual contact with the complainers was with their consent.

The trial, before Lord Burns, continues.

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