Man locked woman in property before pinning her to sofa in rape attack

A childcare team leader raped a young woman at his home after earlier meeting her in a pub.

Callum Mullen, 43, locked a door at the property in Bonnyrigg, in Midlothian, and attacked the 22-year-old on January 3, 2023.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the woman was pinned to a sofa during the attack.

She said that during the assault she told her attacker that he was hurting her and added: “I told him to stop.”

Mullen had denied raping the woman and told the court he did not force himself on her. He said: “I understand consent and it was consensual sex.”

He claimed that he did not know what caused the woman to be distressed after the encounter.

Mullen told the court he worked with children in care and had been appointed as a team leader to a staff of 15 but was suspended following the incident.

Advocate depute Lisa Gillespie KC told the court: “A woman who is grabbed, pinned down, forcibly undressed, ignored when she protests is not freely agreeing to anything.”

The woman was found by a friend in a bathroom, sitting on the floor and rocking back and forth after the attack before fleeing from the house.

A police officer said when she met her the victim was extremely upset, crying and gagging.

Mullen was out drinking in bars before the attack and met the victim and other women in a pub before returning to his home.

Judge Alison Stirling remanded Mullen in custody after the jury found him guilty of the rape by a majority verdict. Sentence was deferred on Mullen, who was on bail during his trial, for the preparation of a background report.

He was placed on the sex offenders’ register. The judge ordered that the case be referred to Scottish Ministers under legislation for the protection of vulnerable groups.

She said to jurors: “It has been a difficult and anxious case for you.”