A former King’s horseman who raped three young trainee instructors at a Fife riding school has been jailed for 10 years.
James Armour struck while on leave from military duty in the 1980s.
The now 57 year-old escaped justice for decades until one victim bravely reported her ordeal to Rape Crisis in 2019, and then the police.
This sparked a probe into abuse of the girls at the Dunvegan Equestrian Centre in Newburgh.
Armour was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Rapist ‘followed pattern’
He had earlier been convicted after a trial in Stirling of raping all three victims between 1983 and 1989.
The then girls were aged between 17 and 19 at the time.
Armour – known as Chris – had been a bombardier in the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
The unit is well known for its horse teams pulling 13-pounder guns on royal state occasions, taking part in Trooping the Colour as well as mount guards on Horse Guards Parade.
Armour had also represented Britain as an army showjumper.
Despite having a “responsible and disciplined” role in the military, judge Lord Young said Armour had left the victims suffering “real physical and emotional damage”.
He said: “These offences date back to the 1980s when you were a young soldier.
“All were committed at an equestrian centre and against young female trainees who lived there.
“These rapes followed a pattern. You stayed (there) while on leave and had access to attack the trainees.
“It is clear the women, despite the passage of many years, found it upsetting to repeat what you had done.
“One had said, for years, she had kept to herself what happened as she felt no one would believe her.
“The jury did believe her and the evidence of the others.”
Victims’ evidence
The victim who went to Rape Crisis told how Armour had been a complete stranger to her before he struck.
The woman – now 57 – recalled how he walked into a stable where she was working, assaulted and then raped her.
Similar attacks occurred over the next two years at the centre including her being smacked with a riding crop and her head being held under running taps.
She said: “I felt sick. I was just crying all the time.”
The second victim – now aged 59 – was attacked after being wakened by squeaking floorboards as Armour came into her bedroom.
The rapist slapped his hand over her mouth and ordered her to be quiet.
Asked why she had not reported what happened at the time, she told jurors: “I was scared. I was a naive young girl and it was the start of my career.
“If I’d opened up, I would not have had 30 to 40 years with horses. That is what I thought.
“In those days, there was not any help. You shut up. You got on with your life.”
The third victim – now 53 – was also raped in a bedroom.
She told how she had consensually kissed Armour before he forced himself on her and raped the then teenager.
This victim also did not feel able to report Armour at the time as she “did not think for one moment she would be believed”.
Armour – who latterly lived in Congleton, Cheshire, claimed during the trial all three were “fantasists”.
He was put on the sex offenders list indefinitely.
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