A SCHOOLGIRL was held captive for seven hours and raped after a man snatched her off the street and dragged her into his home, a court heard yesterday.
Ryan Smith, 25, who had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital only a few months earlier, kept the teenager in his flat overnight.
She thought about trying to escape, but feared what might happen if he caught her. He ignored her tears and ra
ped her before allowing her to leave, with a warning that she would be killed if she went to the police.
A judge heard that Smith, of Whitson Crescent, Edinburgh, had a string of previous convictions and was on probation at the time of the latest attack.
Lord Brailsford called for background reports, including a risk assessment, and deferred sentence until next month.
He told Smith: "This is a profoundly disturbing case. It seems to me in your current state you quite possibly represent a very serious risk to females."
Smith admitted abducting, assaulting and raping the 16-year-old girl on 8 February.
The advocate-depute, Neil Beardmore, told the High Court in Edinburgh that Smith worked as a customer services assistant at a Sainsbury's store.
He had an alcohol dependency and had received treatment at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, being last discharged in October last year.
He had attempted suicide by overdosing and was taking medication for depression at the time of the offence.
Mr Beardmore said the victim had never met Smith before, but they had a mutual friend and she was in a group that was at his flat that night.
The men were drunk and there was an altercation between Smith and one of the others in the street. The girl was walking away from the scene when she heard Smith state: "You're dead." He grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against a hedge, and then dragged her into his flat.
Smith threw the girl on to a bed and lay down beside her. He put his hand over her mouth when someone came to the door, and then indecently assaulted her. She repeatedly told him to stop, and hit him, but he bit her on the arm.
"He would alternate between making threats and being apologetic," said Mr Beardmore.
"This continued throughout the night and she considered trying to escape but was afraid of what the accused might do if he caught her. She was continually in fear of her safety and her life."
At around 7am, Smith raped the girl, as she pleaded to go home. She was allowed to leave after giving Smith a kiss. He told her she would be "battered" and "killed" if she told the police.
Mr Beardmore said the girl revealed what had happened to a friend, and the police were contacted.
"She suffers from nightmares, fears sleeping alone and going out alone. She was unable to complete her preliminary exams and left school," he added.
Smith's record included convictions for theft, fireraising and assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
The defence solicitor-advocate, Jim Stephenson, said Smith could be a useful member of society when he had not been binge drinking. He had been placed on probation in February last year with a condition that he attend psychological and alcohol counselling.
"He has written letters saying he wishes to apologise to the girl," added Mr Stephenson.
The full article contains 572 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
