LEWIS GRANT AND SHOCKING SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN STIRLING AND DUMFRIES

Lewis Grant, a man from Bridge of Allan with a long history of disturbing sexual offenses spanning nearly a decade, was recently sentenced to prison after being found guilty of multiple serious crimes against women in various locations across Scotland.

Grant’s criminal activities allegedly began in 2011 when he engaged in illegal sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl in Dumfries. Over the years, his offending extended across southern Scotland and into Stirling, where he committed a series of heinous crimes that included rape and brutal assaults. His crimes were linked to two Scottish universities, namely the University of Stirling and Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh.

Throughout the nine-year period, Grant targeted victims primarily connected to university settings—residing in student halls or flats—where he exploited his position as a fellow student. His first known major offense involved raping a female student in her accommodation at Queen Margaret University. Subsequently, he committed at least three more rapes, including two in Stirling, where he was actively studying.

Reports from the court revealed chilling details of Grant’s assaults. One of his victims, a student living in Stirling, described a terrifying encounter in which Grant, a martial arts enthusiast, lifted her bodily off the ground. She recounted that his hands were wrapped around her neck, causing her to hang there as she struggled to breathe. This victim was subjected to choking in a manner that put her life in danger.

Another particularly disturbing incident involved Grant using BDSM elements maliciously. One woman was beaten with a riding crop, waterboarded with Prosecco, burned with a blowtorch, and choked until she believed she might die. She later provided police with photographs documenting her injuries. Investigations focused on whether Grant had exploited or abused other former partners. Almost a month after the initial incident, authorities apprehended him.

During his courtroom testimony, held at the High Court in Stirling behind a curtain for privacy, the victim detailed her experience in Grant’s university accommodation located in Bridge of Allan. She explained that she initially agreed to engage in what she believed was consensual rough sex. However, Grant turned violent: he began hitting her with his hand and fist, pushed her onto the floor, then pinned her with her hands above her head, and forcibly covered her face with a cloth while pouring sparkling wine over her mouth. She described suffocating and panicking as she struggled to breathe during the assault.

She further recounted an encounter where Grant lit a kitchen blowtorch and threatened to use it on her, stating, “This might be fun to use when you’re not behaving yourself.” Although he extinguished the flame soon after, he burned her back with the hot metal, leaving a noticeable scar. The victim decided to end her relationship with Grant after he opened the bathroom door where she had locked herself in and brandished a large kitchen knife threatening her safety.

Following a lengthy trial that lasted five weeks, a jury deliberated for two days before reaching a verdict. Lewis Grant, 28 years old and residing on Henderson Street in Bridge of Allan, was convicted of raping three women and endangering the lives of two others through assault. The jury acquitted him of charges related to two additional women, returning not guilty and not proven verdicts for those allegations.

In addition to the rape charges, Grant was convicted of engaging in sexual acts with a girl under the age of 16 in Dumfries. Throughout the proceedings, he maintained his innocence, claiming that all sexual encounters, including BDSM activities, were consensual. He also disputed the assault allegations, asserting that his actions did not involve the violence described by his victims and suggested they were acts of self-defense. His defense team noted that a significant hernia had affected his anatomy, claiming this would have prevented him from performing certain acts.

The court heard that all of Grant’s victims had, at some point, been in romantic relationships with him, which may have influenced the dynamics of his offenses. Judge Lord Summers, addressing the court in Edinburgh, postponed sentencing until October 26 and ordered that Grant be remanded into custody immediately. Recognizing the severity of his crimes, the judge further stated that Grant’s continued freedom was inappropriate given the convictions for multiple serious sexual offenses and assaults.

As part of his sentence, Grant was also ordered to register as a sex offender. The prosecution and the legal team indicated that mitigation by Grant’s defense was reserved, and the court’s focus remained on the gravity of his actions and their impact on his victims.