SENTENCING STATEMENTS

On sentencing, Judge Summers told White:

“On 11 February, after a trial lasting some six days, the Jury convicted you of all of the charges remaining on the indictment. The jury made deletions to two of the charges.   

These convictions represent a horrific catalogue of offending. At its core, your offending involved the rape of three former intimate partners. In relation to two of those partners the offending involved repeated rape over a number of years.   In addition, and in relation to each of these partners you were convicted of assault to injury and in relation to the third, convicted also of threatening and abusive behaviour, domestic abuse and sexual assault. 

These offences are deeply troubling.  They are eloquent of a pattern of physical and sexual violence perpetrated against a background of domestic abuse. You treated your former partners as objects to satisfy your own sexual ends.

When the case last called, I adjourned for the preparation of a Justice Social Work Report. I now have that report.   

I take account of all that is contained in the report, and all that Mr Jones has said on your behalf this morning. I take account in particular of the physical and mental health issues dealt with in the report. I recognise your long-standing struggle with drugs and the trauma you have endured.

You accept limited responsibility for some of your offending. It is of concern, but unsurprising, that you continue to deny any responsibility for your sexual offending in respect of any of your former partners.  You adopt the same position as you adopted at trial. That is a position roundly rejected by the jury. You appear to have no insight in relation to the harm caused by your offending. You are assessed as being at risk of reoffending towards intimate partners.  

You have historic and non-analogous previous convictions. Two of your previous convictions have domestic aggravations. I recognise there is nothing on your record remotely as serious as the charges before the court today.  In imposing sentence, I attach no weight to your previous convictions.

I have had regard to the appropriate sentencing guidelines and in particular the issues of rehabilitation, punishment, deterrence and public protection. I have necessarily had regard to the seriousness of the offences.

It is clear, given the nature and gravity of these offences, that the only appropriate disposal is the imposition of a lengthy custodial sentence.

Sentencing is not straightforward because of the number of different charges.  I am going to impose a cumulo sentence in relation to the three charges of rape and concurrent sentences in relation to the other charges.  

Before I get to the charges of rape, I will deal with the other charges. 

Charges 1, 6 and 9 are charges of abduction and assault or assault involving your three former partners.  In relation to those charges, I impose a cumulo sentence of two years imprisonment.

Charge 8 is a charge of threatening and abusive behaviour.  The sentence on that charge is one year imprisonment.   

Charge 10 is a charge of domestic abuse. The behaviour in that charge was persistent, it included physical violence and was carried out over a period of five years.  The sentence on that charge is two years imprisonment. 

Charge 11 is a charge of sexual assault. The sentence on that charge is one year imprisonment with two months attributable to the domestic aggravation. 

All of those sentences are concurrent and backdated to 10 May 2024. 

Turning then to the offences of rape, I need to explain what the sentences would have been if sentencing these offences discretely.

Charges 2 and 12 each involve rape of a former intimate partner on a number of occasions over a number of years.  In relation to charge 2 the libel period is some six years and in relation to charge 12 it is four years.  Charge 2 involves threats and the use of violence, charge 12 is aggravated by the statutory aggravation of involving domestic abuse. The complainers in these charges were vulnerable because of their addiction issues, and you appear to have exploited that.  In relation to these offences, in terms of the new guidelines for sentencing offences of rape, the level of your culpability is Level A and the harm caused by your offending is Level 2

In relation to each of these charges if sentenced on their own, and taking account of the aggravating factors, the appropriate sentence would be at least nine years imprisonment.  In relation to charge 12 six months would be attributable to the aggravation.  

Charge 7 involves rape of a different partner on a single occasion. (In terms of the new guidelines Culpability is Level B and Harm is Level 3). If sentenced on its own the appropriate sentence in relation to that charge would be six years imprisonment. 

If all of those sentences were imposed and imposed consecutively the overall sentence would be excessive.

I am satisfied that the period for which you would otherwise be on license would not be adequate to protect the public from serious harm from you, when you are eventually released. In reaching that view I take account of the terms of the JSWR. I also have regard to the nature of the offending and the period during which it was carried out.

In relation to charges 2, 7 and 12 I am going to impose a cumulo sentence. Taking account of the totality principle, that is an extended sentence of 18 years which is in two parts.

The first part of the sentence is an immediate period in custody.

In relation to the charges of rape on the indictment, charge 2, charge 7 and charge 12, I impose an immediate period in custody of fifteen years. Six months is attributable to the aggravation on charge 12.

This immediate period in custody is not the end of your sentence. The second part of your sentence will be served in the community.  From the date of your release, you will be under license for an extension period of three years.

The conditions of your license will be fixed by the Scottish Ministers. If, during the extension period, you fail to comply with the conditions of your license it may be revoked. You may be returned to prison for a further period in respect of this sentence. The court also has power to deal with you if you commit a further offence after your release and while you are on license.

That extended sentence is concurrent with the sentences already imposed and sentence will run from 10 May 2024 when you were first remanded in custody. 

You will be subject to the notification requirements for an indefinite period.

I am satisfied, on a balance of probabilities it is necessary and appropriate that I make a non-harassment order in relation to the victims of your offending in order to protect them from harassment.

For an indefinite period, you will not approach contact or communicate with, or attempt to approach contact or communicate with, any of the complainers.”

11 March 2026