Nine years for rapist who ‘robbed victims of their childhoods’

● High Court judge says Colin Notman still at high risk of reoffending

A child rapist who was deported from America to face justice was jailed for nine years yesterday after a judge told him he had robbed his victims of their childhoods.

Colin Notman attacked two girls at houses in Edinburgh on several dates in 2013 and 2016, including raping one of them twice on a single day.

Notman, 27, returned to attack the second victim at her home after earlier subjecting her to a rape, but fled when a woman arrived on the scene.

Notman, of HMP Edinburgh, admitted committing two offences of rape and a sexual assault, and failing to appear at a High Court hearing. 0 Colin Notman was deported from the US to face charges

The judge at the High Court in Edinburgh, Lady Maggie Scott, told Notman: “You have robbed both children of their childhoods and caused lasting damage. These young children will have to rebuild their lives.

She added: “Your failure to appear [in court] caused considerable delay and associated distress to victims.”

Lady Scott said a background report on Notman suggested he was at high risk of re- offending. She ordered he be kept under supervision for a further two years and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Lady Scott said she took account of his “relatively young age” and his remorse and recognition that his conduct had caused serious harm.

Notman failed to turn up for a court hearing on 9 February last year after he was earlier granted bail at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. It was discovered he had been arrested by police in the US. He was deported and detained on his arrival at Edinburgh Airport on 23 January this year.

Notman first struck between 1 January and 23 July in 2013 when he attacked a ten-yearold at a house in the city after joining her and other children playing hide and seek. He took the girl to an attic bedroom and raped her. Later the same day he raped her again.

Notman first attacked his second victim at his former address in the Broomhouse area between 1 October and 31 December.

He attacked the girl again on 10 March, 2016 at a different house, but a woman walked in during the attack and he fled.

He was later detained by police at a house in the city’s Gorgie area and forensic evidence linked him to the sex assault on the second girl.

Defence counsel David Nicholson said Notman had gone to the US after forming an online relationship with an American woman who paid his air fare for him to join her.