Judge shown explicit CCTV footage of city centre rape attack

A CALL centre worker has admitted raping one woman and trying to rape another in a Glasgow city centre street just days before Christmas.

At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, 22-year-old Scott Kerr pleaded guilty to the attacks which, took place just 15 minutes apart in James Watt Street, Glasgow, on 21 December last year.

Kerr knocked his first victim to the ground, pushed her on to her back and repeatedly attempted to pull down her underwear with intent to rape her.

Minutes later, he forced his second victim down a ramp, threatened to kill her, forced her to the ground and raped her.

The court heard that his rape victim was on the phone to a male friend when Kerr attacked her.

Her friend heard Kerr say to the woman in a clear and calm voice: “If you scream, ah’ll f****** kill you.”

Both of the attacks were on two young women, who were complete strangers to Kerr and who were walking home from Christmas nights out. They were captured on CCTV.

Advocate depute Gillian Wade, prosecuting, head of the Crown Office’s national sexual crimes unit, took the unusual step of playing explicit footage, which showed part of the sex attack on Kerr’s second victim to judge Lady Stacey.

The court heard that a number of Kerr’s colleagues at Weatherseal phoned the police and Kerr handed himself in at a police station in Dundee, although he claimed he knew nothing about either sex attack.

Kerr was on a Christmas night out when he and friends went to a strip club and then he walked off while they returned to their hotel.

Kerr’s first victim was a 20-year-old woman walking home from a night out.

When he saw her walking down the street at 3:55am, he immediately crossed towards her and walked past her.

Miss Wade said: “The accused then turns and runs down the street after her. He can be seen on CCTV huckling her off the pavement and into the car park of the Atlantic Quay building.”

The woman fell to the ground and was then dragged further into the car park. She struggled and screamed and tried to get her boots off to use as a weapon.

Miss Wade added: “After a number of failed attempts to pull her tights down, the accused then stopped, stood up and ran off.

“The complainer, who was hysterical, managed to flag down a passing taxi driver.”

The second attack on a 22-year-old woman happened a quarter of an hour later. This woman was also returning home after a Christmas night out.

Kerr walked up to her and tried to engage her in conversation. The woman replied along the lines of: “I don’t know,” and walked past him.

As she reached the entrance to a BT building, Kerr grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her into the ramp.

Defence QC Robert Anthony said: “He now wholly accepts it was him, although he has no recollection of these offences.”

Lady Stacey deferred sentence until next month.