An Edinburgh rapist who gave one of his victims Valentine’s Day flowers after attacking her has lost a bid for freedom.
George Newby, 32, attacked one woman in August 2020 and six months later went on to target Kerry Malcolm. She was left ‘crying and shaking’ after discovering he planned to appeal his conviction, according to the Daily Record.
After Kerry passed out at a party, Newby attempted to attack her. The man was found to pose a ‘high risk of sexual reoffending’ and was jailed for seven years and places on the sex offenders register.
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He ordered his legal team to appeal both his conviction and sentence but has had the court action rejected by a judge. Kerry, who has bravely waived her right to anonymity, has spoken of her relief after being notified that the brute will remain behind bars.
She said: “When I first heard about him appealing, it was about a week after the trial had finished. I was constantly on edge that he was going to get out despite being convicted for his crimes.
“But now he will have to serve the full sentence. I feel so relieved after getting the letter telling me his appeal had been squashed. I don't believe he can appeal again, so I don't need to sit around waiting to find out if he's going to win or not.
“I think that victims and survivors should be able to have their say on how they feel about appeals like this in the courts."
A letter sent to Kerry by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service last week said: “The appeal against the above case called at the High Court in Edinburgh and was refused. This means the original conviction and sentence still stands.”
Newby, who repeatedly denied his guilt, was found to have raped his first victim at a property in the Loganlea Road area of Edinburgh. He repeatedly touched the vulnerable woman on her breasts and buttocks, kissed her neck and pinned her to the floor before performing a sex act on her.
The brute then grabbed her by the neck and raped her to her injury. Newby then attempted to rape Kerry, who initially regarded the sex predator as a friend.
She previously told the Daily Record how she began “feeling all dizzy and went to lie down on a bed” during the gathering in February 2021. But she woke to find Newby on top of her while pinning her hands above her head.
After the attack, Kerry told how the rapist gave her a bouquet of flowers “because it was Valentine’s Day” before the blooms were seized by police. Following Newby’s conviction, Police Scotland praised the bravery of Kerry and the other woman.
Detective Inspector McArthur-Kerr of the Edinburgh Public Protection Unit said: “George Newby is a predatory and dangerous man who committed horrendous crimes against his two victims.
“It is thanks to the courage of the women who came forward that he has now been found guilty of these crimes and the cruelty of his behaviour has been exposed.
“I would like to commend them in their bravery throughout this investigation and trial. Hopefully the verdict today will help them moving forward."
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