Thug admits to rape that 'traumatised whole town'

THE town of Livingston has been left "traumatised" by the rape of a mother in her family home last November and was only now starting to pick up the pieces, a local politician has said.

Speaking on the day 22-year-old John McKeown pleaded guilty to the drug-fuelled sexual attack, Councillor Bruce Ferrie said communities had struggled to come to terms with the horror.

In court yesterday McKeown, of Deanswood Park, Livingston, admitted threatening to kill his 40-year-old victim as well as a nine-year-old boy and a 48-year-old man who were held prisoner in their home on November 6.

The family's hour-and-a-half long nightmare only came to an end when McKeown finally broke down and started crying before fleeing the house.

Councillor Ferrie said the town had been rocked by the crime. "The whole community was traumatised by this situation," he said. "People should feel safe in their own home but this lady endured the most dreadful circumstances. The town remained very worried after it happened and it took a while for us to settle down but perhaps now we are moving on a little."

Yesterday the court heard that on the eve of the attack McKeown had been drinking with his family before going on to a local nightclub where he downed four pints of lager and some whisky. When questioned by police he also confessed to taking cocaine before picking up a knife from his kitchen and going for a walk.

Just before 5am McKeown had found the victim's side door unlocked and let himself in. The 40-year-old woman heard a creaking sound on the stairs and her bedroom door slowly opened. She jumped out of bed, naked, to see McKeown holding a large knife. As she struggled with him, the 48-year-old man came out of his bedroom to be told: "Stay where you are or she gets it."

The man was sent back upstairs and told that if McKeown heard his bedroom door open, he would kill the man and the boy.

McKeown took the woman downstairs, where he sexually assaulted her.

Later he put his head in his hands and said "Sorry, I've just done the worst thing," and began to cry. He handed over his knives and said: "Phone the police, I'm done."

Prosecuting, advocate depute Gillian Wade said the woman was too frightened to go out alone for some time and had lost her voice due to stress.

Following the guilty plea, Detective Inspector Alan Sommerville who led the inquiry said: "This man has subjected his victim to a traumatic and sustained attack, and that is something she must live with every day of her life.

"We would like to commend the woman for her bravery and ability to provide a detailed description of her attacker, which helped us trace(him]."

Judge Lord Stewart remanded McKeown in custody to await sentence next month.