‘High-risk’ offender appeals conviction

A RAPIST warned by a judge he may never be freed from prison is appealing his conviction.

Andrew Brown, 57, was jailed for fourand-a-half years at the High Court in Edinburgh in June after he was found guilty of raping two women and sexually assaulting another.

His attacks were carried out at addresses in Dundee and Edinburgh between 2012 and 2016.

Lawyers acting for Brown — who is classed as a “high-risk” offender — are now preparing to appeal his sentence and conviction at the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh, with a procedural hearing scheduled for next week.

As well as jailing him, judge Lord Armstrong also imposed a lifelong restriction on Brown in June.

The order means that Brown will be released only if prison bosses are satisfied he no longer poses a danger to public safety.

Lord Armstrong warned Brown the order constituted a sentence of imprisonment for an indeterminate period.

He was previously handed a five-year prison sentence and has a previous criminal record for sexual offences.

Brown, who is listed as a prisoner in Edinburgh, sexually assaulted his first victim at a house in Dundee in 2012. He molested the woman before attempting to drug her.

This was before he attacked his second victim between August 2013 and November 2014, as well as plying her with sedatives.

Brown sexually assaulted the woman, as well as grabbing her by the hair, pushing her on to a bed and raping her.

The third victim was assaulted while she slept in October 2016 and Brown continued to rape her after she wakened.

Brown has continued to deny his guilt over the rapes and sexual assault.

Lord Armstrong said: “These crimes of which you have been convicted are disturbing and of the most severe gravity.

“You appear to show no real remorse or concern for the victims of your crimes.”

A full risk assessment carried out on Brown found he was “a high risk to the safety of the public at large”.

He was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely following his trial at the High Court in Livingston.

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The High Court at Edinburgh.