Man raped 17-year-old in lane within minutes of meeting

A man who raped his 17-year-old victim within six minutes of meeting her has been jailed for five years.

Ji Ren Lin, 32, carried his teenage victim, who was drunk and incapable of giving consent, into a lane in Glasgow city centre on November 21, 2018, and raped her.

The attack by Lin on the girl, who was a stranger, took place in East Bath Lane.

Afterwards, he left her distressed and crying and went back to work at a Chinese restaurant.

The High Court in Glasgow heard the teenager, who had been on a work night out, came across Lin as he dumped boxes outside the restaurant.

The teenage victim later died in March 2019.

Hong Kong-born Lin denied the charge and claimed the girl agreed to have sex with him.

Lin, from Garnethill, Glasgow, was convicted of rape after a three-day trial. He has been assessed as posing a high risk of danger to women.

Jailing Lin, judge Lord Mulholland told him: “You took advantage of her intoxication and carried her into the lane where you raped her. Your conduct that night was despicable and you should be ashamed of yourself for doing what you did to that young woman.

“You appear to have outdated attitudes toward women. You appeared to blame your victim for the position you find yourself in, you are wrong in that. Women are not fair game.

“Intoxicated women have as much right to the protection of the law as any other woman. This was an appalling crime.”

The victim had been on a night out at a number of city centre bars, but ended up alone and CCTV footage showed her “unsteady on her feet”.

Lin was working as a kitchen assistant at a nearby restaurant.

Prosecutor Sheena Fraser said: “He met her by chance. He put down his pile of rubbish and put his arm around her – despite the fact he would obviously see she could barely stand.”

They initially ended up on a bench near the city’s Buchanan Galleries where Lin appeared to grope and kiss the girl.

Train driver Ian Wilson was walking nearby when he spotted a man in “chef trousers” carrying “something”.

The 57-year-old said: “As I drew level, they turned into East Bath Lane. What he was carrying was a person. I could see two legs hanging down and blonde hair.

“There was no movement from the person being carried.”

Lin raped the girl in the lane before heading back towards the restaurant. She was later seen by passers-by “stumbling, distressed and crying”.

Lin was placed on the sex offenders register and ordered to be monitored in the community for two years after his release from jail.

Defence counsel Louise Arrol said: “He appears here as a first offender.”