Rapist’s 6 years’ jail
AWOL after confrontation
A rapist who went AWOL after his victim confronted him has been jailed for six years.
Gary Pugh. 35, repeatedly preyed on the young girl in the late 1990s in Motherwell.
In 2015, she then challenged Pugh about what he had done pleading with him: “Why me?”
It was soon after the sex attacker sparked a large-scale hunt after he went missing for 12 days.
Pugh had left a note for his partner that stated: “I have done wrong. Now I must pay.”
The warehouse worker was eventually found and brought to trial – but denied the accusations.
However, he was convicted in Edinburgh of a number of charges including rape and lewd and libidinous conduct.
Lord Arthurson last week told Pugh at the High Court in Glasgow that he was guilty of “extremely serious sexual offending”.
The judge added: “The damage caused (to the victim) has been significant and long lasting.”
Pugh, also of Motherwell, will be on the sex offenders list indefinitely.
The girl was aged between 11 and 13 at the time of the crimes. The attacks occurred from 1997 to 1999.
A jury heard how the victim turned up at Pugh’s home two years ago with another woman.
He asked him if he had raped the victim and he said he had – but claimed he had been a stupid wee 15 year-old” at the time.
The victim was said to have screamed at Pugh: “Why me?”
But, Pugh denied the abuse the during his trial. He claimed that when he was first confronted about the allegations he thought it was a joke.
He recalled then leaving his house adding: “I didn’t know in my head where I was going.”
Derick Nelson, defending said Pugh’s partner continued to support him.