Sex offender who carved his name into girl's thigh jailed

A sex offender who carved his name into a girl’s thigh with a knife during a campaign of abuse ahas been jailed for six years.

The victim told a court that Charlie Swain cut both his first and second names into her thigh and said it happened on more than one occasion and he would do it over the same area.

She said he told her that “if he marked me everyone would know I was his, that I belonged to him.”

The woman, now 20, said his comments made her feel sick and added: “I still have scars to this day.”

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the victim was on a night out in the city with a friend, following the crime, when she revealed what happened to her and showed the scar on her thigh.

The friend said: “It said ‘Charlie’ as if he had taken a knife and dug it in.”

She said: “It seemed pretty fresh. There was a little bit of dried blood on it. I told her that was not normal, and she said he had inflicted it on her. She was pretty upset.”

Swain, now 21, had denied a series of charges during an earlier trial but was convicted of three offences, including subjecting the victim to repeated abuse at locations in Edinburgh.

During it he issued threats and made derogatory comments to her, controlled her movements and isolated her from friends and family.

She said that Swain would shout and lose his temper and throw items and “get into my face”.

She said that Swain, from Carrick Knowe, in Edinburgh, was drinking and taking drugs and violence towards her escalated.

Swain was also convicted of assaulting her, and the woman said he got a belt and began to whip her “everywhere”.

She said: “I remember putting my hands up to my face.”

“I think I was pleading with him to stop. He was laughing when he was hitting me with the belt.”

She said Swain got a large knife and held it to her neck. She added: “I thought I was going to die.”

He told her he was going to the bathroom, and she took the chance to call the police.

A judge told Swain that his conduct towards the victim was violent and abusive and caused harm.

Lord Summers ordered that Swain should be under supervision in the community for a further two years following his jail term, when he will be under licence.

Following the trial Swain was also convicted of a course of prolonged abuse against a second victim who was a teenager at the time.

Lord Summers said: “This course of conduct involved verbal abuse, physical violence and sexual assault.”

Swain and the girl had sex but she withdrew her consent. Swain continued to have intercourse with her.

He also threatened her, struck her, kicked her and pressed fingers into her eyes, nose and ears during the abuse between 2020 and 2022.

Defence counsel David Taylor said that Swain was diagnosed with ADHD and suffered health issues.

He said: “It is clear he has some way to go in respect of maturity.”

Mr Taylor said that a major factor in Swain’s downfall was his abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine.

Swain was placed on the sex offenders’ register and non harassment orders were made banning him from contacting or attempting to contact victims indefinitely.