Watch moment rapist who abducted teen girl escapes custody at Edinburgh court

A man who abducted and raped a teenager in his “basement lair” escaped custody before being jailed.

Aaron Strachan, 21, stalked his victim in Edinburgh before he pulled a knife on her and marched her through the streets in the early hours of the morning to the place he had chosen to rape her.

On Monday, he was jailed for an indefinite period and made the subject of an order for lifelong restriction. He will serve a minimum of five years, but Judge Michael O’Grady KC told him he may never be released.

But in January, when he was originally due to be sentenced, Strachan managed to escape whilst being transported by GEOAmey personnel to a nearby vehicle.

A photo of Aaron Strachan issued by police in 2022 when he was 17 years old. Police Scotland

In CCTV footage released by the Crown Office, Strachan can be seen being led down the stairs of the High Court in Edinburgh, apparently cuffed to a guard.

But he is able to break or slip from his bonds and run away. Guards chase after him, with one tumbling to the ground.

Police Scotland said that the rapist was traced nearby and returned to custody.