KEVIN MELROSE

TEENAGER WHO RAPED AGAIN WHILE ON BAIL GETS 14 YEARS

A 17-year-old rapist who subjected a second woman to a terrifying sex ordeal while he was out on bail was sentenced to 14 years' detention yesterday.

Lord Prosser described the offences as among the worst he had encountered and considered detaining him indefinitely, akin to a life sentence.

Melrose attacked his first victim, a 24-year-old, in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, at 2am on March 18 last year, holding a knife at her throat, demanding her keys, and pushing her into her car.

He then drove her to Strathclyde Country Park, where he forced her to strip before repeatedly raping her.

After leaving the scene, the victim pressed the horn but no one responded; police arrested Melrose at a nearby roundabout.

Despite this, he was released on bail.

He later attacked a 39-year-old woman in High Blantyre, using a cigarette lighter shaped like a gun to terrify her, and raped her at an industrial estate.

Melrose admitted the rapes and breaching the Bail Act, with sentencing deferred for background reports.

His defense counsel noted Melrose had left school a year prior and had no qualifications, describing the crimes as 'two awful crimes' involving degrading and frightening behavior.

The judge expressed serious consideration of a life sentence for such crimes.