Blood-lust rapist appeals against conviction for indecent images

Hector MacLennan: Not granted leave to appeal against conviction for rapes and assaults.

A rapist with a fascination for blood has appealed against his conviction for making indecent images of children.

Hector MacLennan was jailed following a string of attacks against women in the Highlands over nine years, including one against a pregnant woman.

A jury heard how he slashed his victims with scissors because of a fascination with watching them bleed.

The 31-year-old was jailed for at least five years after being found guilty of two counts of rape and five assaults involving three victims in the Inverness area between May 2000 and August 2010.

He raped a teenage girl as she slept and attacked a pregnant woman with a belt, raped her and cut her with scissors.

Another victim was threatened with a broken bottle and also cut with scissors. She told the trial that MacLennan said he wanted "to feel blood all over him".

MacLennan, from Munlochy in Ross-shire, was told he may never be released, after being made the subject of a lifelong restriction order, reserved for the most serious violent and sexual offenders.

He was also jailed for another six months after being convicted of making and possessing pornographic pictures of children, after 32 images were found on his laptop computer.

He appealed against his conviction, but only the challenge against the indecent images charges were allowed to proceed to a hearing of the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Defence counsel Chris Shead told the three judges that the jury had been misdirected during the trial, resulting in a miscarriage of justice.

Advocate depute Andrew Stewart, for the Crown, conceded there was a misdirection to the jury relating to the offence of possessing the images - not making them - but claimed this did not mean there had been a miscarriage of justice.

The appeal judges, Lady Paton, Lord Clarke and Lord MacLean, have reserved their decision and will give a ruling at a later date.

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