Ricki Findleton dangled pregnant teenager over railway bridge in Fife after carrying out sex attack

A rapist who carried out sex attacks on a pregnant teenager and dangled his victim over a railway bridge has been jailed.

Ricki Findleton also had underage sex with the victim and another teenager, who was also subjected to rape, and molested a 13-year-old girl during a catalogue of offending against three females.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: “You have been convicted of an appalling series of crimes involving vulnerable young girls. The crimes included rape, sexual assault, abduction and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.”

Lady Haldane said it was evident following Findleton’s trial that the abuse victims suffered “continues to haunt them years after these events”.

She told the sex offender: “Given the gravity of these offences a significant custodial sentence is inevitable.”

Findleton, formerly of Rossend Terrace, Burntisland, in Fife, had denied a string of charges during a trial but was found guilty of four charges of rape, two of underage sex, two of threatening or abusive behaviour, one of abduction and assault, one of assault, one of sexual assault and one of indecent communication with a child.

The offences were committed by him at addresses and locations in Burntisland and Kirkcaldy, in Fife, between 2011 and 2019.

The construction worker had been on bail during his trial but he was remanded in custody following the verdict. Sentence was deferred on him for the preparation of a background report.

One woman who was twice subjected to rapes by Findleton when she was an expectant teenage mum told the court that she feared for her unborn child following the second sex attack.

The woman said she was crying and in pain during the assault after Findleton ripped off her pants. She told the court: “I knew he had used a lot of force. I had a lot of bleeding.”

The 26-year-old said: “I was eight months and two weeks pregnant. I was scared my son had been harmed.”

“I think on that occasion I went to the hospital to make sure everything was okay with my son,” she added.

She said that following the assault on her in 2011 she went to the bathroom but realised there was blood coming from her.

She told advocate depute Donald Davidson that she was confident that the bleeding resulted from the sex rather than being due to her pregnancy.

The woman said that after Findleton subjected her to the rape late in her pregnancy he told her “that was nice” and went to play with an Xbox games console and smoke a joint.

The woman said that on other occasions Findleton, who had first had sex with her when she was aged 15, subjected her to assaults and abuse.

She said on one occasion he pushed her, turned her round and picked her up by the ankles so that they were level with his shoulders before he dangled her from a bridge over the railway line.

Findleton, who said he was the victim of wicked lies, said the incident did not happen, although he accepted he had arguments with the woman.

A second woman, now aged 22, who Findleton had sex with when she was underage, said she was raped by him, including following the birth of her son in 2016.

A 13-year-old girl said that she had received a message from him during 2019 in which he said he really wanted to have sex with her. She said: “He was texting me saying how beautiful I was. He was asking me to wait for him when I was 18 and stuff”.

She said she was sent an obscene image and was molested by him. She told police: “I just don’t want it happening to another girl.”

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson, for Findleton, said after the jury’s verdicts: “He will obviously be receiving a substantial custodial sentence.” He made no motion to seek to continue bail for his client.

Findleton was placed on the sex offenders’ register.