A Dundee rapist has been jailed for six and a half years.
Labourer Sean Mitchell, 23, attacked a woman at an address in the city in August 2021.
Mitchell subjected the woman to emotional abuse for nearly two months in the run up to the rape by shouting and swearing at her and calling her derogatory names.
He threatened to leave her, said he would kill himself and used her credit account to buy things for himself without repaying her.
His course of abusive behaviour also included pushing her against a wall to her injury, controlling her movements and taking video of her when she was upset.
He forced her to perform a sex act on him and continued to have sex with her after she told him to stop, placing his hand around her neck to prevent her from moving.
Mitchell, of Dundee, spent the trial proceedings denying any wrongdoing but a jury at Edinburgh High Court returned unanimous verdicts finding him guilty of abuse and rape charges.
Medium risk of re-offending
The jury heard evidence from the complainer, who confided in a friend following the attack and became “distressed” when recalling what had happened to her.
This prompted her to contact the police.
Jonny Campbell, defending, told a sentencing hearing at the High Court in Livingston Mitchell continues to maintain his innocence.
He said the accused, who lived alone, had experienced difficulties in childhood as a result of witnessing domestic violence.
“Mr Mitchell had a limited experience of intimate relationships.
“The longest he had was one which he entered into after these offences.
“The criminal justice social work report places him at medium risk of reoffending and moderate risk of sexual offending.
“The victim impact statement is powerful and persuasive but in selecting the starting point for any sentence the court should attach weight to his age at the time of the offences and his relative lack of maturity.”
Register and ban
Jailing Mitchell, Judge Susan Craig said: “You were in an intimate relationship with your victim and that person was young and particularly vulnerable, given her background.
“Your behaviour started almost immediately and only stopped when your victim was able to throw you out.
“She describes your offending as having a profound physical and psychological impact on her but there’s an element of you blaming your victim for her behaviour.”
She backdated the prison sentence to July 25, when Mitchell was remanded in custody and told him he would be monitored in the community when he was released on licence.
He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and banned from working with vulnerable groups.
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