Tearful rapist told me he'd return next day to say sorry

A RAPIST who subjected a woman to a brutal attack after randomly walking into her home told her "I'll come back tomorrow to apologise".

John McKeown, 22, held Tracey Wilson, her brother-in-law and a young child at knifepoint for nearly two hours before carrying out the sickening assault at a house in Livingston on November 6 last year.

McKeown, who was a complete stranger to Ms Wilson, 39, and had a clean criminal record, crept into the house at 5am after Ms Wilson's partner left for work and cornered her in the bedroom.

Bizarrely, he went on to have calm conversations with the terrified occupants about his family, football and music tastes for nearly two hours as he guided them around the house to snatch mobile phones, before taking Ms Wilson downstairs and sexually assaulting her.

Afterwards, he burst into tears and said "I have done the worst thing in the world, please call the police".

When Ms Wilson told McKeown to leave, he left saying he would return the next day "to apologise". He then returned 10 minutes later to give back her mobile phone.

Ms Wilson, who now lives in Mid Calder, bravely agreed to waive her right to anonymity to "support and encourage anybody who might be in a similar situation" and "help get over" the incident.

After watching him sentenced to six years in jail, she said she did not hate her attacker and had forgiven him after he pleaded guilty. Previously, she was so traumatised that she could not leave her house alone and lost her voice for several weeks.

Ms Wilson, a training co-ordinator, said: "I have never felt ashamed or embarrassed about what happened and if me speaking out can help somebody and give them some support, I can give something back in this situation.

"When he pleaded guilty that was massive for me, that's all I wanted and it allowed me to move on. He'll go to prison and I hope he gets the help he needs. I forgave him some time ago. He put us through hell, but I don't hate him."

Recalling what happened that night, she said: "I heard a creak on the stairs. I got up and turned on the light and saw the lad holding a kitchen knife.

"My brother-in-law came to the door of his bedroom and John said he had a gun.

"He then took us on a bizarre tour of the house to find mobile phones and cut the telephone line, closed the blinds and ripped out the internet cables.

"I was staring at him and his eyes were calm and he was polite. Even during the assault he wasn't vicious."

McKeown, of Deanswood Park, Livingston, earlier admitted abducting and raping the woman and threatening to kill her and other occupants of the house.