Rapist given lifelong restriction order for attacks at blind school

A CUNNING and deceitful visually impaired rapist who sexually assaulted eight of his fellow pupils at a school for the blind has been handed a life sentence.

David Penman, 43, was given an order for lifelong restriction yesterday for preying on his victims whilst attending the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh during the 1980s.

The High Court in the capital heard Penman committed rape and sexual abuse on girls and boys during his time at the establishment.

One of his victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told shocked jurors Penman had targeted her.

The woman, who is now 42, told the court that he repeatedly attacked her. The court heard how one day she walked past Penman and heard him tell a friend how she was an “easy target” for rape.

It took jurors one day of deliberations in June 2017 to return verdicts of guilt on 11 charges of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault.

Following conviction, prosecution lawyer Ian Wallace then revealed that Penman, of Inverness, was jailed in February 2000 for 10 years on charges of rape and attempted rape.

Yesterday, judge Lord Uist ruled that Penman did meet the criteria for the imposition of an order for lifelong restriction.

Ordering that Penman serve at least four years in custody before becoming eligible for release, Lord Uist added: “You are cunning, deceitful and manipulative.

“You have a narcissistic personality disorder and traits of both avoidant and paranoid personality disorders.

“You engage in fantasies involving deviant sexual violence. I’m in no doubt that you are an evil and dangerous man and that the risk criteria are met in your case.

“I shall therefore make an order for lifelong restriction in respect of you.

“That order constitutes a sentence of imprisonment for an indeterminate period.”

Penman, who is registered blind, had pled not guilty at the start of proceedings last year.

He was snared after his first victim plucked up enough courage to contact the police in 2013.

Detectives then launched an investigation and gathered enough evidence to bring him to court.

During proceedings, Penman’s first victim told jurors how she was raped by the pervert on school premises on various occasions in the late 1980s.

Penman also sexually assaulted several girls aged between 12 and 14. He even threatened one with a knife.

The court heard that Penman sexually assaulted two 12-year-old boys.

During the trial, the court heard how one of Penman’s victims could remember his “dreadful scent” and his “awful glasses” from the time of the abuse.

Under cross examination, he admitted that he had been convicted of a “number of offences”.

In 1999, he pulled out a knife and held at the throat of an 18-year-old girl.

Penman told her that he had killed and would do so again.

He then forced her into a bedroom and raped her.

Penman, a former Jehovah’s Witness, then told a psychologist and a social worker that he had planned to kill the teenager but did not go through with his plan because he had fallen asleep.

You are an evil and dangerous man