Jailed: Rapist out on bail, only to attack again

A RAPIST who attacked again after being freed on bail has been jailed for seven years.

George Newby raped a teenager, leaving her bruised and traumatised, at a house in Edinburgh.

But after he was released on bail following an initial court appearance, the 32year-old struck again within months and tried to rape another woman.

Passing sentence yesterday at the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Sandison told Newby: ‘You have been convicted of the rape of one woman and the attempted rape of another.

‘Both of your victims were truly vulnerable. You continue to maintain your innocence. You display no insight into the consequences of your actions.’

The judge pointed out that Newby – who was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely – had been assessed as posing a high risk of further sexual offending.

Newby had denied a series of charges during a trial last month but was found guilty of committing the two sex attacks.

During the assault and rape of his first victim on August 8, 2020, he pinned the teenager down.

She was later seen in a distressed state and taken to her mother’s home where she revealed what happened.

Newby later appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court where he was bailed.

But in February last year he attacked again, targeting a woman who was asleep and intoxicated at a flat in the Pilton area of the capital.

She managed to push him off and was later picked up by a taxi driver who noticed that she appeared upset.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘It is horrifying to hear that a rapist who was released on bail went on to commit another crime.

‘This is not an isolated incident. Around one in eight crimes in Scotland are committed by those who were on bail at the time.

‘Incredibly, the SNP Government are introducing a law that would make it even easier to bail accused offenders, even though they have conducted no analysis on how this will impact on crime levels and public safety.

‘This case highlights the SNP’s extraordinary negligence on this issue. They need to change their plans urgently to put victims of crime and public safety first.’