Man targeted lone women leaving Dundee university library, trying to rape one and attacking the other

A man attacked two women after they left a university library in Dundee, subjecting one to an attempted rape ordeal.

Derek Lewis attacked the two women on the same evening of February 20 on the streets of Dundee and also entered a flat as an intruder and took knives from the kitchen.

The 40-year-old admitted assaulting one woman at Kirk Lane, in Dundee, by following her, attempting to engage her in conversation before seizing her from behind, covering her mouth with his hands and struggling with her.

He also pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive way by entering a flat in the city without the knowledge or consent of the occupants and taking knives from the kitchen.

Unemployed Lewis, formerly of Hilltown, Dundee, further admitted sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a woman at King Street, in Dundee.

During the assault, he followed her, grabbed her, dragged her by the body and repeatedly pushed her to the ground, where she was restrained and sexually assaulted.

Footage of the latter attack was played to the court.

Advocate depute Ross Price told the court: “It appears this was effectively stranger-related offending.”

The prosecutor said the first woman to be attacked left Dundee University library and went to a supermarket before starting to walk home.

He said Lewis tried to talk to the 28-year-old, but she ignored him and continued on her journey before she was grabbed from behind.

He covered her mouth with his hand as she tried to scream before he let her go following a struggle.

He said a car drove past during the attack, and the woman believed this was what prompted Lewis to let her go.

The second woman, 50, was studying at the university library when she walked home and became aware of a male behind her.

She tried to flee as Lewis attempted to seize hold of her. After he grabbed her, she broke free but was taken hold of again and pulled into an area of bushes.

Lewis pulled down her trousers and sexually assaulted her.

The woman told him to stop, but he told her not to make any noise. She pleaded with her attacker and told him she had cancer as she tried to halt the ordeal.

The court heard a neighbour was alerted by his partner, who heard something was going on. He looked out and saw Lewis on top of the woman and heard her plead ‘help me’.

He ran out and called: “What the f*** are you doing?”. Another neighbour made a call to police and Lewis was traced through CCTV.

Lewis said during an interview that he had no recollection of the incidents and said he had started taking drugs again.

A judge told Lewis, 40, that he had carried out “a campaign of disgraceful behaviour”.

Lady Poole said at the High Court in Edinburgh: “You preyed on a series of people in the vicinity of a university.

“These are the sort of crimes that do not only impact on the victims but send shockwaves through the wider community.”

“You claim to have been on drugs at the time, but that is an aggravating factor.”

Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin said: “This is clearly a very serious matter.”

The judge deferred sentence on Lewis for the preparation of a background report with a risk assessment. He was placed on the sex offenders’ register and remanded in custody.