Rapist jailed after 17 years of sex abuse

A MAN who raped a teenager and sexually abused three other young women over a 17-year period has been jailed for seven years.

Edward McPhillips, 53, of Bathgate had sex against his 15-year-old victim’s will on an occasion between December 1 1986 and Christmas Day 1986, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

He committed the horrifying assault on the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at an address in the West Lothian town.

The court heard that McPhillips also attempted to rape the schoolgirl on various occasions between New Year’s Day 1985 and December 25 1986.

McPhillips, of Traprain Crescent also sexually abused a 12-year-old girl - who also cannot be named - between September 30 1977 and September 29 1978.

The court heard that the attack took place at an address in West Lothian.

He also sexually assaulted a girl aged eight years old on an occasion between July 11 1979 and July 10 1981 at an address near Edinburgh.

The court also heard that McPhillips also abused a five-year-old girl on an occasion between January 3 1993 and January 2 1994.

The revelations emerged following a three day trial earlier this month at the High Court in Edinburgh - sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain reports about McPhillip’s behaviour.

Today judge John Beckett QC branded McPhillips a danger to public safety and told him that he had to be locked up.

He told McPhillips - who made a rude hand gesture towards members of the press sitting in the court as he was being led away to begin his sentence: “These are grave offences.”