Steven McKee handed life sentence for repeatedly raping and attempting to blackmail woman

A man who once tried to murder the mother of his children has been given a life sentence for trying to destroy a woman’s life by blackmailing and repeatedly raping her.

Steven McKee, 49, had been released early from jail when he started sexually assaulting his 34-year-old victim in June 2019.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how McKee abused the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on various occasions between June 2019 and October 2019 at locations in St Andrews, Fife, and Glasgow.

Jurors heard how the woman became friends with McKee because she thought he was lonely.

But after having sex with him, McKee blackmailed her into having sex with him again by threatening to disclose intimate pictures and videos of the woman to her partner and her friends and family.

He also threatened to commit suicide if she stopped seeing him, saying that his life wouldn’t be worth living without her.

McKee also bombarded her with phone calls and text messages, subjecting her to verbal abuse.

He also contacted the woman’s partner to tell him that they were having a relationship.

The court heard that McKee told the woman that if she didn’t have sex with him, he would “destroy her life.”

But his victim plucked up the courage to contact police who launched an investigation into his activities.

On Wednesday, Judge Lady Poole noted that McKee had previously been given a 14 year extended sentence for attempting to murder his then-partner Lisa Whyte in 2011.

She said that with the evidence presented to court, the appropriate sentence available to her would be the imposition of an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

She told McKee, who observed proceedings via videolink from his prison cell, that he would only be released once the parole board were satisfied that he no longer posed a threat to public safety.

Passing sentence, Lady Poole said: “You have concerning previous convictions. In 2011 you were convicted of attempting to murder a former partner when she sought to end a relationship with you.

“You had been released on July 24 2015 under a licence which included special conditions of engaging in offence focussed work in the area of domestic violence. Despite being under supervision and attending a domestic violence course you offended again.

“I am in no doubt that you are a dangerous man from whom the public must be protected.

“Given the nature and circumstances of the crime you committed, your previous offending and all of the information before me, I am satisfied that if you are at liberty, you will seriously endanger the lives or physical or psychological well being of members of the public at large.”

McKee, originally of Slamannan, Stirlingshire, was found guilty by jurors on charges of rape and psychological abuse charges in November last year.

Sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain reports about the criminal’s background.

In 2011, he was given a ten year prison term for stabbing his ex-fiancee at their home near Falkirk.

Lisa Whyte was treated for serious injuries to her neck after the attack in July 2010.

During proceedings at the High Court in Glasgow, jurors heard how McKee was “devastated” when Ms Whyte called off their wedding a week before the ceremony was due to take place.

He stabbed her at their home in Falkirk after telling her: “If I can’t have you, nobody will.”

Ms Whyte, who was then aged 32, later fled to a neighbour’s house with a seven-inch blade still sticking out of her neck. Lord Kinclaven also ordered McKee to be supervised by the authorities for four years following his release from custody.

McKee was released on licence but returned to preying on women.

During the trial, McKee’s victim told jurors about her ordeal.

In one text message, she pleaded to be left alone.

She wrote: “Please just stop all of this. It’s doing no one any good.”

She told the court: “He just wouldn’t leave me alone.”

She said: “I was just hoping that once he had said what he had to say that would be it and he would leave me alone.”

She said McKee said “loads of nasty things” and called her “a cow”.

At one stage she told him in a message: “You are actually scaring me that you can’t leave me alone.”

Giving evidence, McKee, who was on remand at Perth Prison, told the court that he had consensual sex with the woman.

He said: “She was a pretty girl. She is still a pretty girl.”

On Wednesday, defence advocate Fred MacKintosh QC told Lady Poole that McKee still maintained he hadn’t done anything wrong.

He added: “Mr McKee would like for the court not to impose an Order for Lifelong Restriction. He still maintains his innocence.”

However, Lady Poole told McKee that it was in the public interest for him to be locked up.

The judge ordered him to serve a two years and two months term for the outstanding jail time that was left from the early release from his attempted murder bid on Ms Whyte.

She told him that he’d then have to serve a minimum of four years for the latest offence before the parole board would be able to consider releasing him.

But McKee – who has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life – was warned that his release wouldn’t be automatic.

She added: “The Order for Lifelong Restriction means you will be subject to a sentence of imprisonment for an indeterminate period.

“You will only ever be released from prison into the community if the parole board can be satisfied that public safety will not be endangered. And even then you will be subject to conditions and liable to be recalled to prison if you break them.

“For the rest of your life, you will be subject to continuing risk management and close supervision.”

As Lady Poole left the bench, McKee could be seen on the video link rubbing his hands. He then shouted: “Bring on my appeal! That’s what I say! Bring on my appeal!”