Five years for rapist student who boasted: I will bed 100 women
‘He knew I was saying no’
A STUDENT ‘ambassador’ who boasted he was going to have sex with 100 women at his university was yesterday jailed for five years for raping a student. Duncan Burns was supposed to help students in his role as an accommodation liaison officer at the University of Stirling.
But he was a sexual predator who forced himself on a 20-year-old after meeting her on Tinder.
Burns, 24, claimed the sex was consensual and continues to protest his innocence. But yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Mulholland told him: ‘You were convicted by a jury of rape. The jury rejected your explanation that the sex was consensual.
‘You ignored this woman’s wishes and raped her. This court takes a very serious view of this. You are sentenced to five years in prison.’ Lord Mulholland also placed Burns on the sex offenders’ register.
The rapist’s victim admitted she had willingly gone to his room several times and had wanted a relationship with him.
But she consistently refused his demands for sex – and told him ‘no’ repeatedly when he finally forced himself on her.
Speaking through tears, the woman, who had never had a boyfriend, said: ‘I always perceived rape to be more like with a stranger or with violence.
‘I knew I’d said no and he knew I was saying no. I had no doubts in my mind, but don’t think at the time I knew it was rape.’
Asked by defence counsel Mark Stewart, QC, if she was pressing Burns to have a relationship with her, she replied: ‘Sometimes he would say he wanted to sleep with 100 women and then he would commit to me.’
He also told her that when she was famous and on the television, he would say: ‘Oh, I took her virginity.’
Recalling the rape, she said: ‘I remember it hurting and I told him it was hurting. He didn’t stop. It didn’t change anything. He just carried on.’
The jury heard the woman was in a ‘distressed state’ when she told friends and university officials what her attacker had done. Burns, of Birkhill, Angus, was found not guilty of raping a second woman.
He had lodged special defences claiming any sexual contact was with the women’s consent. Mr Stewart said: ‘Mr Burns’ position is he is innocent of this charge.’
The QC told the court that his client had a difficult childhood and wanted to help others.
He added: ‘That career path is now lost as is his university career. He was a second year student on an honours course.’
A spokesman for the university said Burns was no longer a student. She added: ‘Sexual assault and harassment will not be tolerated anywhere at the University of Stirling, and we condemn the actions of Duncan Burns.’
Meanwhile, a rapist who preyed on two young girls was yesterday jailed for 11 years.
Owen Hollern was branded a ‘sexual predator’ who ‘ruled with an iron fist’. The 70-year-old left his victims petrified during a series of attacks between 1975 and 1988.
The crimes occurred at a number of addresses in Dumbarton.
Hollern was locked up after being found guilty of four rape charges as well as lewd and libidinous behaviour.
At the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Johanna Johnston, QC, told him: ‘You have been convicted of a series of dreadful sexual offences.’
She added the OAP had caused ‘profound and long lasting damage’ through his actions.
Hollern, who had denied the accusations, was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.