ALEXANDER RAFFERTY SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON IN GLASGOW FOR MULTIPLE SEX OFFENSES
Alexander Rafferty has been sentenced to six years in prison and received an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) at the High Court in Glasgow after being convicted of three severe sex attacks on women.A notorious serial rapist, who previously gained media attention for a dramatic fall from Celtic Park, was handed a life sentence for his crimes.
Rafferty, aged 56, subjected three women to terrifying assaults, two of whom were essentially strangers.
During one attack, he told a victim: "I will show you what f*****g rape is." He also forced another woman to stare into his eyes as he assaulted her.
Lady Rae imposed the lifelong restriction order alongside his sentence.
Rafferty appeared in court following his conviction last August on three counts of rape and was ordered to serve a minimum of six years behind bars.
The court heard that Rafferty’s past made headlines in 1999 when he fell from the Jock Stein stand during a heated Celtic versus Rangers match at Celtic Park.
Despite the fall, he only sustained a broken nose and was seen on TV waving and giving a thumbs-up as he was taken out on a stretcher.
He showed no visible emotion as he was led back to police custody.
The crimes took place between August 2018 and April 2020, at a flat in the Wyndford area of Glasgow and at Rafferty’s home in Royston.
The first victim, who was formerly in a relationship with Rafferty and has since passed away, recounted an incident where Rafferty’s temper flared because she was not ready quickly enough for a night out.
She recalled him threatening to demonstrate "f*****g rape," and described how he tore off her clothes, choked her to the point of difficulty breathing, and held her in a state of terror.
Another victim encountered Rafferty in Glasgow city centre in late January 2020, after which he took her back to his flat.
He threatened her, demanded she remove her clothes, and refused to let her leave.
After raping her, Rafferty left her terrified to call police; she ended up dialing 999 but was too frightened to speak.
The third victim was attacked similarly after Rafferty took her to his home.
She managed to defend herself by attacking Rafferty with a screwdriver and fled the scene, later flagging down a police officer.
Prosecutor David Logan described Rafferty as "predatory, opportunistic and sexually abusive" towards his victims.
Defense lawyer Iain McSporran QC stated that Rafferty maintains a strong denial of his guilt, feeling he is being punished for denying the crimes and believing he is being forced to admit to false allegations.
Lady Rae condemned Rafferty as a "callous individual" who has shown "no remorse," emphasizing the violent and degrading nature of the rapes.
She pointed out that some evidence suggested Rafferty appeared to enjoy the acts and that, in one instance, he insisted that a victim look into his eyes during the assault.
The judge concluded that Rafferty will not be released until authorities determine he no longer poses a significant risk to the public.
