The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)

Dundee rapist jailed for molesting teenage girl while she was sleeping

Lorry driver also found guilty of sex assault on another woman

- PAUL MALIK pamalik@thecourier.co.uk Picture: PA.

A Dundee lorry driver has been jailed for five years after raping a teenager while she was asleep.

Father-of-five Graham Watson, 48, committed his attack on the sleeping girl – who cannot be named – at a flat in the city.

Watson, of Strathmore Avenue, denied a number of charges during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He was found guilty by a majority verdict of sexually assaulting and raping the teenage girl and carrying out a further sexual assault on a different woman at the Rewind nightclub on January 14 and 15 last year by repeatedly touching her leg.

His 19-year-old victim was asleep as he perpetrate­d his assault, molesting her on a couch before committing the rape while she woke up.

Sentencing Watson, Lord Uist said: “You are now 48 years old. You have only one previous conviction, which was for assault to injury in 2004, for which you were fined £500 and ordered to pay compensati­on of £500.

“You have a very good work record. It is sad to see someone of your age and background appearing in this court to be sentenced for the crime of rape.

“Unfortunat­ely, it appears that you fail to understand the gravity of your conviction for rape, which was committed against the background of consumptio­n of alcohol and cocaine.

“Taking into account the contents of the criminal justice social work report on you, all the informatio­n about you with which I have been provided and all that has been said on your behalf in mitigation, the sentence which I impose on charges one and three taken together is five years’ imprisonme­nt.”

He was acquitted of a further sexual assault which allegedly happened at a tent at the T in the Park music festival at Balado, Kinross, on July 13 or 14 2013.

Watson was unanimousl­y found not guilty of a further alleged assault said to have occurred at an address in Arbroath on December 25 2007 when he was accused of exposing himself to a woman.

The disgraced lorry driver has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinite­ly.

... it appears that you fail to understand the gravity of your conviction for rape

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier reviews ranks of officers and airmen during a joint graduation at RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshi­re. The event, which is the first of its kind, will be held at the spiritual home of the service and marks the conclusion of the official RAF100 celebratio­ns.

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