Rapist who tied victim up before sex attack is jailed

Sean McGowan, 31, carried out the violent attack at a house in Dundee in February.

A sex attacker who tied a woman up with cable ties before raping her has been jailed for eight years and three months.

Sean McGowan, 31, carried out the violent attack at a house in Dundee on February 27 this year.

McGowan put cables ties on the 28 year-old victim’s wrists, hands and ankles while she desperately struggled to get away from her attacker.

He only freed the woman after restraining her for up to an hour before she escaped out a window.

The joiner was sentenced on Friday after having earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting and raping the woman to her severe injury as well as to her permanent disfigurement and impairment.

Lord Matthews told him at the High Court in Glasgow: “This was a prolonged and horrific rape of a young woman.”

A previous hearing was told how McGowan had previously fantasised about tying up the woman.

Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie said: “Despite her refusal, McGowan produced cable ties and put them on her wrists

“He pulled them very tight. He used another to tie her hands together before doing the same to her ankles.

“She struggled and tried to stop him, but he was too strong. It is estimated she was tied up for between 30 to 60 minutes.”

The court heard that the attack caused the terrified victim “intense” pain.

After the woman was freed, she eventually climbed out a kitchen window and managed to flag down a taxi. 

She told the driver “I have just been raped” as she still had a cable tie around one of her ankles.

McGowan was later held by police, but denied what happened and claimed the woman must have injured herself.

The incident was said to be “life changing” for the victim. She was initially in hospital for two weeks then had to return for a further five days.

Lord Matthews told the rapist the jail term would have been 11 years, but for the guilty plea.

McGowan was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

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