Rapist who brandished knife and forced woman to take 'sleeping pills' before attack jailed

A man who raped a woman after brandishing a knife at her and trying to force her to take pills “to make her sleep“ has been jailed.

Hugh Herman, 55, was handed seven years and four months on Tuesday for the attack, which took place at his home in Catrine, East Ayshire, on November 19, 2022.

A High Court judge heard how Herman attacked the female, who cannot be named for legal reasons, after they had been out near Glasgow earlier in the same day.

On Tuesday, judge Norman McFadyen told Herman, a remand prisoner who observed proceedings via video link, that only a significant custodial sentence was appropriate in the circumstances.

He added: “This was a particularly violent rape. It was clearly perpetrated in a bid to degrade and humiliate her.

“It must have been terrifying for her.

“Clearly only a significant custodial sentence is appropriate in the circumstances.”

Herman previously pleaded guilty to a charge of abducting and raping the woman at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.

Sentencing had been deferred until Tuesday at the High Court in Edinburgh for judge McFadyen to obtain a background report on Herman.

At earlier proceedings, the court heard how Herman had driven himself and his victim back from their day out.

The court heard how the woman wanted to be dropped off, but Herman said he would stop at his home first 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 said: “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.

Speaking about what Herman did next, 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 Farrell 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.

On Tuesday, Paul Nelson KC said: “I invite your lordship to restrict the custodial sentence as much as he can in the circumstances.”