Rapist jailed for seven years

A man who committed a string of sexual offences in Lerwick over an eight-year span was sentenced to seven years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow today.

Kenneth James Harper, 33, was sentenced to seven years on charges of rape, assault to injury, culpable and reckless conduct and sexual offences under the Scotland Act 2009 section 1.

The offences were committed against three women victims in Lerwick between 2004 and 2012. High Court staff confirmed Harper was found guilty of raping one 15-year-old victim between 1st November and 4th November 2004.

He also assaulted the same girl to her injury between 1st May 2005 and 31st August 2006 and was guilty of culpable and reckless conduct towards her and another woman between 1st May 2005 and 31st December 2006.

He was also found guilty of assault to injury of the second woman on various occasions between Ist January 2007 and 31st December 2008 and of sexual offences involving a third woman under the Scotland Act 2009 section 1 between 7th September 2012 and 24th October 2012.

Harper’s prison sentence was back-dated till 6th June when he was found guilty of the offences by a jury trial in Aberdeen.

Harper, who used to live in Exnaboe, Virkie, first appeared accused of sexual offences at Lerwick Sheriff court in April last year.