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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Dave Finlay

Airdrie rapist tried to murder victim as assault left her with perforated bowel

A vicious rapist who tried to murder his victim in a life-threatening assault was jailed for 15 years for the horrific attack.

Martin Myles shunned the woman's pleas to get medical help for her after he subjected her to a sexual assault and repeatedly kicked her, leaving her in agony. A judge told Myles yesterday that a perforation of the victim's bowel sustained during the murder bid would have caused her death but for the medical intervention she eventually received.

Lord Stuart told him at the High Court in Edinburgh that the assault and rape he perpetrated on the woman were "vicious" and "evil".

READ MORE: Woman accused of causing baby nephew to drown in bath told how she found his 'lifeless' body

The judge said: "It is clear from the evidence that I saw and heard that your acts have left her significantly psychologically and physically injured."

Lord Stuart said: "In the circumstances of your case I consider there is no alternative to a custodial sentence."

The judge ordered that Myles should be kept under supervision for a further six years as a public protection measure and warned that if he failed to comply with licence conditions during that period he may be returned to custody. Myles, formerly of Milton Street, Airdrie, in North Lanarkshire, had denied a series of charges during an earlier trial, but was convicted of four offences.

He was found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive way towards his victim between April 2018 and April 2020 by shouting and swearing at her on a number of occasions at addresses in Airdrie. He was also convicted of assaulting the woman during the same period at houses in the town by repeatedly punching and kicking her.

Myles was further convicted of raping the woman on various occasions between November 2018 and August the following year. His offending against the victim culminated in the rape and attempted murder of the woman on April 25 and 26 at an address in Airdrie when she was assaulted to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life.

During the murder bid and sexual assault he pushed her resulting in her falling backwards and while she was on the ground he repeatedly kicked her on the body. The woman was grabbed and pushed onto a bed.

She was repeatedly punched on the head and a lit cigarette was placed on her ear. She was raped and sexually assaulted, and Myles repeatedly refused to get her medical aid when she requested him to do so.

Myles had claimed that any sex with the woman was consensual and said it was "a big shock" that she had told paramedics that he had assaulted her. Prosecutor Victoria Dow said in questioning Myles that the woman "nearly died" from the traumatic injury to her bowel and asked: "You do not accept it was caused by forceful kicks by you?" He replied: "No."

Defence counsel Ian Duguid QC said Myles maintained his position at trial to deny any wrongdoing against the woman. He said that although Myles has previous convictions he has no history of offending of a sexual nature.

Mr Duguid said: "He is 39 years of age. He comes quite late in the day to offending of this type."

Lord Stuart told Myles that he would be placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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