Rapist who branded victim a 'drama queen' jailed for abuse

A rapist who branded one of his victims “a drama queen” has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years.

James Kerr abused his young victim from the age of five to 15, which judge Lord Matthews described as “an appalling course of conduct”.

By that time, Kerr had already raped another girl when she was aged ten and he was just 14.

On Friday at the High Court in Glasgow, 42-year-old Kerr, from Dunfermline, Fife, admitted raping two schoolgirls, sexually abusing an eight-year-old boy and physically abusing two women.

The offences, which were committed a various address in Dunfermline, took place over a 28-year period from 1991 to 2019.

Jailing him, Lord Matthews said: “You have pleaded guilty to a catalogue of sexual abuse and violent offending involving three young children and two partners.”

Lord Matthews ordered Kerr to be monitored in the community for six years after his release from prison.

Prosecutor Shanti Maguire said that when one of his child rape victims, who is now in her 30s, went to the police in 2018, he sent a text message saying: “She is being a drama queen.”

Ms Maguire also claimed that he told his ten-year-old victim: “If you ever tell anybody, I will find you and kill you.”

Ms Maguire said: “The abuse of this girl happened on at least six or seven separate occasions.”

The court heard that Kerr, who was a self-employed roofer and delivery driver, also admitted physical violence towards two partners.

He threatened to break one woman’s legs by pressing his weight on her kneecaps and did this while two young children were in the room.

On another occasion he turned on the gas in her home and threatened to blow up the house with her and the children inside.

Another woman was frequently beaten and strangled by Kerr, who accused her of sleeping with other men, and left her with black eyes and bruising.

On one occasion after a row about her being expected to do all the washing up, he picked up the basin of soapy water and poured it all over her.

Kerr also launched himself at her as they lay in bed. The next thing she remembered was being in a shower with a lot of blood.

The court heard that Kerr hit her five times on the head and back with an empty Buckfast bottle.

When examined in hospital medics noticed a bottle-shaped imprint on her body.

Solicitor advocate Gordon Martin said: “He appreciates what he did was wrong and is prepared to take advantage of whatever help there is. He was a victim of childhood abuse himself.”

Following Kerr’s sentencing, detective constable Ross French from Fife’s Public Protection Unit said: “I would once again like to thank the victims in this case who assisted our officers with this investigation.

“It is not easy reliving these types of incidents, however by doing so it has meant that Kerr now has to face up to the consequences of his actions.

“I hope that his conviction and sentence will serve to bring some form of closure to his victims but I also hope that it sends a clear message to others that there is no place for this type of behaviour.

“James Kerr subjected the children involved in this case to horrific levels of sexual abuse and subjected two women to serious physical violence. I would like to take this opportunity to urge any man, woman or child who has or is being subjected to any form of abuse or harm to please get in touch with police and report it.

“We treat all reports of sexual crime seriously, no matter when the offence happened, with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity and we will thoroughly investigate in order to bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice.

“With the aid of partner agencies, there is also help available to assist victims to break free from these types of harmful situations. If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse please do seek the courage to report it.”