'Stuff of Nightmares': Man Who Raped 15-Year-Old Girl in Edinburgh Basement Given Order for Lifelong Restriction

Aaron Strachan, 21, has been sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh to a minimum custodial term of five years and an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR).

The sentence was handed down on Monday, 28 July.

The 21-year-old admitted holding a 15-year-old girl at knifepoint before forcing her into a basement in Edinburgh, where he raped her.

Passing sentence, Judge O'Grady told Strachan his crimes were 'the stuff of nightmares' for women, girls and parents alike.

An OLR means the Parole Board for Scotland will decide whether Strachan is ever safe to be released.

However, Judge O'Grady told the offender: 'I consider that in view of the level of risk you present to the public, you are likely to remain in prison for many years, if indeed you are ever released.'

Chilling CCTV Captures Masked Rapist

The court heard the 15-year-old victim was waiting alone at an Edinburgh city centre bus stop when she sensed something was wrong.

She walked towards Princes Street, where Strachan was captured on CCTV walking close behind while wearing a balaclava.

The teenager later sat at a second bus stop outside the Marks & Spencer store, where Strachan threatened her with a knife, demanded her phone and warned her not to scream.

He then seized her by the shoulders and forced her into a basement on York Place, jamming the door shut with wooden pallets before raping her.

The court heard the basement contained a mattress on a makeshift bed among piles of rubbish, where Strachan raped the teenager before threatening her not to tell anyone about the attack.

Strachan's Arrest and Sentencing

Hours before committing the sexual assault, Strachan also admitted to repeatedly stabbing a man in the hand with a knife. Three days later, he would attack a man in the head with a claw hammer, which he also pleaded guilty to.

Strachan is also reported to have briefly escaped custody in January while being taken to a prison van following an earlier court hearing. He was quickly recaptured after a manhunt was launched.

He was sentenced on Monday, when he remained in handcuffs and showed no reaction as he was being read his punishment.

The procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offences, Faye Cook, stated Strachan is calculated, predatory, and has caused profound harm.

Det Insp Gillian Wells, of Edinburgh's sex offender policing unit, echoed this, with his statement: 'This was a particularly harrowing attack which was carried out in the busy city centre area and had a profound effect on the young victim.

'I hope this sentence brings her some sense of closure,' he added.

Judge O'Grady stated that Strachan's minimum term of five years does not guarantee his release after serving that period because of the OLR that states sex offenders would have to stay in prison until a parole board decides to release them.