MATTHEW WALKER

SCOTTISH CHEF SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS FOR RAPE AND ASSAULT

Matthew Walker, a chef described as a "serious danger to women," has been sentenced to nine years in prison following his recent conviction for sexual assault.

The court found him guilty of assaulting and raping a woman at an address in a village in the Scottish Borders during March 2021.

The victim was intoxicated or under the influence of an unknown substance and unable to give consent when Walker subjected her to a sexual attack.

Walker, aged 53, had previously committed further sex attacks on three other women in the same year.

Despite denying the charges, he was found guilty by a jury.

The court heard that Walker had a history of sexual offenses, including a 2001 conviction for stalking young women in Edinburgh, where he assaulted and raped victims.

The judge at the earlier trial, Lord Dawson, described him as a "serious danger to women." Following his latest sentencing, he was ordered to serve nine years in prison, and the court imposed measures including five years of supervision after release, indefinite registration as a sex offender, and a non-harassment order protecting the rape victim.

Judge Alison Stirling emphasized that custody was appropriate given the severity of his crimes, and Walker remains under strict legal constraints to prevent contact with the victims.