A Dundee pensioner who raped a woman while she slept has been slammed as a “disgusting predator” by his victim’s family.
Farmworker Francis Bowman plied the 30-year-old woman with drink and cannabis and waited until she fell asleep on a couch.
The woman “froze” when she woke to find him sexually assaulting her.
Bowman was jailed for five years at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday.
He was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Judge Lady Poole told him: “Sexual offending against woman will not be tolerated in our society.”
‘Old enough to be her grandfather’
Bowman was found guilty after a trial at Aberdeen High Court earlier this year.
The 70-year-old, formerly of Craigievar Walk, raped the woman at a property in Dundee while she was intoxicated and asleep and incapable of giving consent.
It happened on November 21, 2018.
The court heard Bowman had befriended the woman and had been helping her move children’s items into an address in the city.
Lady Poole told Bowman: “In 2018, when you were 67 years old, you took advantage of a woman aged 30.
“She met you properly for the first time on the day that you raped her, when you were assisting and transporting a cot and children’s clothes to her flat.
“She trusted you because the arrangement for transporting these items was made through her family and she said you were old enough to be her grandfather.”
‘No remorse’
Lady Poole said: “She lived in the flat on her own, with her child, and she was glad of the company.
“You bought alcohol to drink with her, and cannabis.
“When she fell asleep, fully clothed, on the settee later that evening and was at her most vulnerable, you took advantage of her.
“She was woken by you performing sexual acts on her and you had taken off some of her clothes.
“She froze. And then you raped her.”
“This was a deplorable offence.”
She said: “You abused the trust of your victim and obtained intercourse by stealth by plying her with drink and drugs and waiting until she fell asleep and incapable of consent.
“The long-term effects of this type of offence on your victim can only be imagined.”
She said Bowman had shown “no remorse”.
Ripped family apart
A spokeswoman for the family of Bowman’s victim said while they were pleased he had been jailed for five years, they had hoped for a longer sentence.
The family member said: “This is some form of justice and we are pleased at that but we had hoped he would get something more like seven years.
“This sentence could potentially mean he could be back out on the streets of Dundee after three years – that is something we are not happy about.”
She added: “This man is a disgusting predator and we dread to think he could be released to potentially harm someone else in this way again.”
The woman said Bowman’s actions had nearly ripped apart their family.
She said: “He almost destroyed our family.
“What he did to a vulnerable young woman had repercussions for the entire family.
“His actions escalated to the point that it was very destructive.
“We are now beginning to work together to recover from what that man did.
“We are a strong family and we are getting there slowly.”
Low IQ and learning difficulties
Defence counsel Kris Gilmartin told the high court his client had a good employment record and had worked on a farm and as a cleaner.
He said his family, including his five children and 21 grandchildren, were supportive of him.
“As a result of this case, Mr Bowman was targeted with threats of violence and had to be moved into sheltered accommodation.
“He maintains his position with regards this incident.
“But he has come to terms with the fact that a custodial sentence is inevitable.
“He has resolved to be a more responsible person upon his release.”
The court heard Bowman had learning difficulties and an IQ of 70, with 69 being the cut-off for “intellectual impairment.”
