A rapist who filmed himself sexually assaulting an Aberdeen woman as she wept has been sent to prison.
Peter Renton, 39, was given a six-year-and-three-month long jail term today after Lady Scott concluded he posed a threat to public safety.
The High Court heard how landscape gardener Renton preyed on his two victims between April 2019 and June 2021 at addresses in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Musselburgh.
Renton pleaded guilty to assault and rape charges at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow in January this year.
Judge Lady Scott deferred sentence on him to obtain reports on his character.
Prosecutor David Dickson previously told the court how Renton met the first victim in mid-2018.
The court heard of four attacks involving her at his home in Musselburgh and her own in Aberdeen.
‘You have just been raped’
Describing the first, Mr Dickson said: “She tried to scream and plead. She was scared that she would suffocate. Renton told her to: ‘shut the f*** up’.”
He also told her: “You have just been raped. You were about to cry there, weren’t you?”
During another, he threatened to “batter” a young relative of the woman if she did not agree to his sick demands.
Towards late 2019, Renton struck again and stated: “If you fight back, you will make it worse for you.”
Today, Lady Scott also ordered Renton to be supervised by the authorities for four years following his release from custody.
Passing sentence, she warned Renton that if he were to offend during that supervision period, he could be returned to prison.
She told him: “The charges in this case are serious and I take into account that the features of the offences include behaviour which were intimidating, violent and controlling.
“Your conduct showed behaviour which was designed to intimidate your victims – it included the filming of the assaults.
“I am satisfied that you present a serious risk of harm to women and I am satisfied that in order to protect the public I must impose an extended sentence.”
The court heard how in May 2020, jealous Renton became aware his victim had been in touch with another man.
He initially punched her at the flat in Musselburgh then ordered her into the bedroom.
Renton grabbed her phone and used the mobile to film himself raping the sobbing victim.
Mr Dickson: “In the video she can be seen crying and very distressed.”
She bravely went to police in June 2020, but Renton moved on to another woman he had met on Facebook.
This victim was then abused at her home in Broomhouse, Edinburgh.
Renton was held by police in July 2021 after a probe into the abuse.
‘He had a horrific childhood’
On Tuesday, defence advocate Jennifer Bain told Lady Scott that Renton had accepted his guilt and had expressed remorse for his actions.
Ms Bain said that Renton had problems growing up and had been abusing cocaine at the time he abused the women.
She added: “He had a horrific childhood. He was abandoned by his mother at the age of two and was subjected to horrific beatings by this father from the age of five. He ran away from home.
“Mr Renton has never sought to use his childhood experiences to justify his behaviour or minimise his conduct.
“He has accepted full responsibility for all that he has pleaded guilty to and he has expressed remorse.
“Mr Renton is under no illusion about what his fate will be.”
Lady Scott told Renton that jail was the only disposal available to her.
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