RUSSELL GRAY SENTENCED IN GLASGOW FOR ABUSE IN FIFE AND DUNDEE

A convicted offender, Russell Gray, 63, who owns a scrap metal recycling business, was found guilty of torturing and raping a younger woman across locations in Fife and Dundee. The victim, aged 30, endured severe assaults, including burns inflicted with cigarettes, gas canisters, and candle wax. She was also bitten, resulting in scars on her face, limbs, and intimate areas.

During his trial at the High Court in Livingston, the woman testified that Gray repeatedly raped her, often while she was sleeping. She described how he assaulted her with various objects and supplied her with cocaine and heroin, aiming to create dependency. "Gray regularly raped me, often when I was asleep," she said.

Gray, who is a father, denied all the allegations, claiming the sexual encounters were consensual. He also denied any pattern of abusive behavior, including the use of degrading language, threats, control over her finances, and filming her while intoxicated to share with others.

Despite his denials, the jury convicted Gray of two counts of rape and engaging in abusive behavior toward his partner or ex-partner. However, he was acquitted of a charge involving a knife attack that caused severe injury and permanent disfigurement to the woman’s breasts, as the jurors rejected that specific allegation.

The offenses occurred at his late mother’s home in St Andrews, a hotel in Cellardyke, and in Dundee, all while Gray was on bail. The court heard that Gray, originally from Glasgow, admitted to regularly using cocaine and heroin during this period.

Gray argued that he and the woman had consensual sex "almost daily" and claimed she enjoyed rough sex, which included slapping, pulling her hair, and using derogatory names. Nevertheless, a recording played in court captured the victim accusing Gray of raping her five times while she was asleep.

Medical experts linked small circular marks on her face to cigarette burns and identified injuries consistent with bites. She also bore scars from violent sexual assaults, a handprint on her leg that she described, and a missing piece of flesh from her thigh.

Gray denied any sexual contact when the woman was asleep and suggested she fabricated the allegations to claim £25,000 in criminal injury compensation. After the verdict, the prosecutor revealed that Gray has prior convictions for sexual offenses.

Judge William Gallacher indicated that Gray should anticipate a substantial prison sentence and ordered background reports, including a risk assessment. The case was adjourned until August 12 at Glasgow High Court.