Man who raped teenage girl after offering to charge her phone at his flat in Saltcoats jailed

A predator who raped a teenage girl he discovered alone in the street has been jailed for seven years.

William Murdoch, 58, began speaking to the 19-year-old, having separately been in a bar close to his then home in Saltcoats, Ayrshire.

Murdoch lured the vulnerable victim, who had been affected by alcohol, back to his flat by suggesting she could charge her phone and have a coffee.

Jurors heard how the teenager asked him to promise that he “would not be weird with her”.

But, instead, it was at the flat that Murdoch carried out the sex attack while also calling her derogatory names.

When other people came to his door, Murdoch lied that he had a “homeless girl” in his home, but that she was “fine” and was sleeping on his sofa.

He then returned to raping the teenager.

Murdoch was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.

He had earlier been convicted of raping the girl in May 2024.

Judge Kevin McCallum KC remarked how Murdoch had been clocked on the pub’s CCTV looking over towards the victim, so he would have seen the “condition” she was in.

The court heard the rapist, now of Mauchline, maintained his innocence.

Judge McCallum added: “The author of the (pre-sentencing) social work report assessed that you engaged in what is sometimes referred to as ‘victim blaming’.

“You minimised and justified your actions, appearing to demonstrate a complete lack of insight into the seriousness of the offence.”

Murdoch was put on the sex offenders list and banned from going near the victim, both for an indefinite period.