Woman trapped rapist in taped chat

A WOMAN snared her rapist from Perth in a taped confession by using her mobile phone to record him admitting the crime, a court has heard.

John Kinloch, 59, told his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, he was sorry for sexually assaulting her.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how she gave the recording to detectives who used it to build a case against Kinloch, who also sexually assaulted two other women.

Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie KC told judge Lord Beckett yesterday how the woman plucked up the courage to tape Kinloch, who has served previous jail terms for sexual offences.

Ms Gillespie said: “The complainer telephoned the accused. She put to him he had raped her, telling him she felt disgusted and he had no idea what he had done to her. The accused admitted he had raped her and said that he was sorry.”

The story emerged after Kinloch, a prisoner of HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow but originally from Perth, pled guilty to the sexual assault charges.

Ms Gillespie told Lord Beckett of how Kinloch preyed on his victims in his home city and Glenfarg between May 2020 and December 2021.

She t ol d the cour t Kinloch had been previously assessed as posing a risk to public safety.

The advocate depute added: “He was managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements and had been assessed as presenting a high risk of harm.”

Defence lawyer Tony Lenehan KC told Lord Beckett his client has a learning disability and “a fairly low IQ”.

Lord Beckett told Kinloch he was going to order a report into whether he met the cri t eri a f or an order for lifelong restriction because of previous convictions and the potential risk he poses to public safety. If imposed, he will only be released if the parole board feels he is no longer a risk.

Kinloch will reappear in court before Lord Beckett in July.