Zachary Rankin jailed after raping woman in Glasgow

Zachary Rankin subjected his distressed victim to forced, unprotected intercourse at her home in Glasgow in June 2022 after telling her: "We are having f-----g sex."

Rankin, who was previously jailed for more than in 2015 for the rape and abuse of three other female victims, continued with the sex attack on the medical professional despite her crying and being in pain.

The sex attacker also inflicted a course of abusive behaviour on his latest victim  between May and August in 2022 during which he threatened her and her friends with violence, inflicted violence on her and monitored her social media.

A judge told Rankin, 33, at the High Court in Edinburgh: "These are very serious offences. The aggravating features are manifest." 

Lord Young ordered that the offender should be under supervision for a further seven years when he will be on licence in the community and can be returned to prison if he breaches its conditions."

The court heard that after meeting his latest victim Rankin would often spend time at her flat.

Advocate depute Vish Kathuria said: "Towards the end of April 2022 Rankin disclosed that he had previously been in prison for rape.

"Following this the woman noticed a change in his behaviour. He would regularly use her mobile phone and laptop, giving the reason  that the police monitored his devices," said the prosecutor.

He would pretend to be the woman on social media and contact her friends and deleted photos he did not like.

After Rankin revealed his criminal past the woman tried to avoid sexual contact with him, but he would become aggressive when she refused to have sex.

The woman went on holiday with friends to Spain but  Rankin plagued her with phone calls and texts and flew into a jealous rage when he learned that a former boyfriend was also on the trip abroad.

Rankin rowed with the woman and pushed and punched her and later grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the floor.

He raped the victim after telling her they were going to have sex and grabbing her.

Mr Kathuria said: "She froze and did not say anything through fear as he was much larger and she was aware of his previous convictions. She was visibly upset and crying, which would have been obvious to him."

The woman eventually cut contact with him and after speaking to her sister went to the police. Rankin was recalled to prison in October 2022.

Defence counsel Brian McConnachie said that Rankin was assessed as posing a medium risk, but was not offered the opportunity for offence focused work until he was recalled.

He said: "These offences are clearly serious offences and made more so by virtue of his previous record."

Rankin was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and the judge made a non harassment order banning him from contacting the victim.