iStockA man raped a woman after brandishing a knife at her and trying to force her to take pills “to make her sleep“.
Hugh Herman, 55, turned on the woman after she had gone to his home in Catrine, East Ayrshire, on November 19, 2022.
The pair had been out near Glasgow earlier that afternoon.
Herman drove them back afterwards – the woman had wanted to be dropped off first, but the attacker stated he would stop at his home to let his dogs out.
The victim went in with him and he initially asked if she wanted a cup of tea.
She then went to an upstairs bedroom to get one of the dogs.
Prosecutor Greg Farrell then explained: “She turned around and could see Herman standing behind her holding a kitchen knife.
“He pointed the blade towards her. Herman told her to go into the room.”
Herman put the knife down, forced her jacket off then shoved her onto a bed.
Mr Farrell said: “Herman tried to put pills in her mouth and told her they would make her sleep. She refused to swallow them.”
Herman straddled the victim and squeezed her nose while still attempting to get her to take the medication.
He momentarily got up before then smothering her with a jumper to stop her screaming.
Herman went on to rape the victim and demanded she “shut up”.
Mr Farrel said: “She asked him why he was doing this. He did not reply.”
The woman began feeling unwell, having only been able to get one of the pills out of her mouth.
The rapist asked his victim if she was going to call the police.
Herman answered his own phone at one stage and it was then the woman yelled in the background for help.
He shouted at her: “See what you have done now.”
Herman then put tape around her mouth, stating she should “learn to shut up”.
He took it off after a couple of minutes and the victim shouted to a woman in the street Herman had “put tablets in her mouth and raped her”.
Herman was later arrested, but insisted any sex was consensual.
Herman had been due to stand trial at the High Court in Glasgow, but admitted to a charge of abducting and raping the woman last week.
The hearing had been adjourned for prosecutor Mr Farrell to give more background and detail to the crime.
Herman was remanded in custody as sentencing was deferred for reports until next month.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
