A man who went on the run while facing rape charges left the woman he sexually assaulted in Perthshire with lasting “mental scars”.
Nathan Perry-Harper, 29, was given a seven-year jail term for his heinous crimes on Tuesday at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Perry-Harper subjected his victim to repeated rapes at a location in Perthshire between March 1 2018 and June 16 2019.
The court heard how Perry-Harper’s attacks left his traumatised victim – who cannot be named – with lasting health issues.
Perry-Harper told a court-appointed social worker he believed he did not do anything wrong and was innocent of any crime.
This prompted judge Lord Scott to order he be supervised for two years following his release from custody and place him on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
‘Mental scars’
Lord Scott told Perry-Harper, who observed proceedings via video link from prison: “I have seen a victim impact statement from your complainer, who speaks of how she has been left with mental scars because of your offending.
“It is my view that your behaviour demonstrates that you have engaged in victim blaming and are in denial about what you did to the complainer.
“Only a custodial sentence is appropriate in this case.
“I have decided that you will be subject to a period of supervision following your release from custody – this is in order to protect the public from you.
“You will go to prison for seven years.”
Perry-Harper, of Caerphilly, Wales, was due to appear on the charges at the High Court in Livingston in December last year but Gwent Police in Wales were forced to put out a public appeal for his whereabouts after he failed to show up at the court.
He was later arrested and brought to Scotland, where he stood trial and was convicted on charges of rape and threatening behaviour earlier this year at the High Court in Stirling.
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