Anthony Plaskett who sexually assaulted woman and raped another on same day in Hawick jailed

A sex attacker who raped two women and indecently assaulted a third has been jailed for five years after a judge told him that only a prison sentence was appropriate.

Anthony Plaskett struck twice on the same day when he sexually assaulted one victim in Hawick and raped a second woman at another house in the Scottish Borders town.

Plaskett, 38, molested and raped another woman at an address in Bo’ness, in West Lothian, a year earlier.

One victim told the High Court in Edinburgh: “I said ‘no’ five or six times. I tried to push him off.”

When one victim contacted a relative by phone she was so upset that the other woman could barely understand what was being said.

Plaskett, formerly of Borthaugh Road, Hawick, had denied a series of charges during an earlier trial, but was found guilty of two offences of rape and one of sexual assault.

During the first attack on February 9 in 2020 at a property in Bo’ness he sexually touched a woman while she was sleeping before going on to subject her to rape after she awoke.

On April 10 in 2021 he carried out a further sex attack on a woman in Hawick. He made sexual remarks to her, exposed himself and pushed his body against hers.

On the same day at another address in Hawick he grabbed another woman and subjected her to a rape ordeal. Plaskett was on bail at the time of the attacks in the Borders town.

Advocate depute William Frain-Bell told jurors at his trial that they heard multiple examples of what might be regarded as controlling behaviour by Plaskett.

But he responded: “I would say what you are listening to is a woman scorned – all three of them.”

Plaskett disputed that he had “a bit of a temper” and said: “I think I am fairly placid. It is not in my make up to be aggressive.”

The court heard that Plaskett continues to maintain his innocence of the sex crimes.

Defence counsel Wendy Culross said: “It comes as no surprise that he maintains the position he took at trial.”

She said: “He has suffered very significantly in relation to trauma in his life.” The defence counsel added that Plaskett has no record for sex offending.

The judge, John Morris KC, told Plaskett: “The jury convicted you of a series of sexual offences, including two rapes. Only a custodial sentence is appropriate in these circumstances.”

Plaskett was told that he will be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely following the sentencing.