Rapist who faked death to escape facing trial found guilty

A market trader who tried to cheat justice by faking his own death has been found guilty of sexual abuse.

On Friday, Kim Avis was convicted of 14 charges after a two-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

He preyed on two girls and two women between 2006 and 2017 mainly in Inverness including at his property called Wolves Den.

Avis, also a well known busker in the city, should have originally stood trial in March 2019. But, the 57 year-old had instead fled to America where he was then reported missing by his 17 year-old son Reuben.

He was said to have last been seen going for a swim at Monastery Beach in Carmel, California.

The fugitive was caught 1300 miles away in Colorado where he was tracked down to low-cost motel after a police stake-out in July 2019.

Avis was taken back to Scotland and now faces a lengthy jail-term when he is sentenced next month.

The crimes included raping three of the victims, also attempting to rape one of the them and sexually assaulting the fourth. He was further convicted of failing to appear for the previous trial.

Lord Sandison adjourned sentencing until June 11 in Edinburgh. As he was lead handcuffed to the cells, Avis stated: “This is a tragedy for truth and justice.”

The victims bravely testified against Avis, who moaned the accusations were like “reading from a film script”.

One, just 12 when Avis first struck, described him being in a “trance” during a sex attack. He targeted the girl after the pair had been at a car boot sale in Muir of Ord in the Highlands in May 2016.

Avis stated “It’s time” leaving the girl terrified.

This victim – now aged 22 – recalled: “I remember telling him to snap out of it while trying to look at him – but there was absolutely nothing there.”

Avis, who later raped the victim in a separate incident, told the victim there was “something wrong” with him.

The two women Avis abused had been in relationships with him. Both were also raped as they repeatedly suffered at his hands.

One told how he flew into a rage at “not very much”. She described him as “extreme”.

Prosecutor Graeme Jessop asked her: “Did he ever do anything sexually that you did not want to do?”

The 48 year-old replied: “He would want to have sex in the daytime when he came home from work.

“But, I was too busy and thought it inappropriate. In the evening, a lot of times I was too tired.

“He did not take it well.”

The woman eventually “just went along with it” not to “upset” Avis.

The other ex-partner denied “chucking mud” at Avis in a bid to blacken his name.

The woman sobbed as she told jurors: “I am just giving my story.”

She said her abuser had even made false accusations against her on social media – but denied wanting “vengeance”.

The final victim – now 21 – was also aged around 12 when Avis first targeted her.