Beggar raped woman who stopped to offer him help

● Man ‘presents a danger to the public’ and will be seen by doctors

A beggar who raped a 57-yearold woman after she stopped to offer help has been handed a life sentence.

James Campbell, 32, admitted raping the woman, on 16 August, last year, at about 6:30pm in a lane between West Nile Street, and Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow.

At the High Court in Glasgow judge Lady Stacey imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction – similar to a life sentence – on Campbell.

She told him: “I take the view you present a danger to the public. I saw a video of what happened.”

Lady Stacey imposed a punishment part of three years but told Campbell: “In order to protect the public work needs to be done with you. There is no definite time at which you will be released. You will be seen by doctors and psychologists.

“As to when you are released that decision will not be taken by me, it will be taken by others.”

Defence counsel Laura Reilly said: “He says he expresses remorse. “

Campbell, who lived with his mother in Paisley, Renfrewshire, was begging in Buchanan Street, Glasgow.

The woman noticed he was not wearing a top, although it was cold and raining.

She asked him if he was all right and chatted to him for about ten minutes. Campbell then followed her and refused to go away.

As the woman walked past the lane Campbell demanded a kiss before restraining her and raping her.

Campbell, who dressed in Celtic football club clothing and draped himself in an Irish tricolour, regularly begged in Buchanan Street and made up to £100 a day.

Prosecutor Angela Gray said: “He told the woman. ‘I love you. I want you to be my girlfriend’ and she replied: ‘Don’t be daft. I don’t even know you’.”

The court heard that the woman struggled with Campbell and repeatedly told him: “Please don’t” and “There is no need for this.”

Miss Gray added: “She repeatedly told him to stop and that he was hurting her. He did not stop and told her to shut up.

“A solicitor working in an office overlooking the lane saw the incident taking place and phoned the police.”

Officers arrived to find Campbell raping the woman and dragged him off her.