A MAN who held a schoolgirl captive for seven hours and then raped her
was given a life sentence yesterday.

A judge was told that Smith, from Saughton, Edinburgh, had been
assessed as posing a “very high risk” to the public and to women in
particular.

He had earlier admitted abducting, assaulting and raping the
16–year–old girl on 8 February.

The girl had never met Smith before, but
they had a mutual friend and she was in a group that was at his flat that night.

The men were drunk and there was a row between Smith and one of the
others in the street. The girl was walking away from the scene when she heard
Smith say: “You’re dead.”

He grabbed her by the neck and pushed her
against a hedge, and then dragged her into his flat.

Neil Beardmore,
prosecuting, said: “She was crying and trying to break free, but was unable to
do so. It was about midnight … there was no-one passing in the
street.”

Smith threw the girl on to a bed, and lay down beside her. He
put his hand over her mouth when someone came to the door, and then indecently
assaulted her.

She repeatedly told him to stop and hit him, but he bit
her on the arm.

“He would alternate between making threats and being
apologetic,” Mr Beardmore said.

“This continued throughout the night and
she considered trying to escape but was afraid of what the accused might do if
he caught her. She was continually in fear of her safety and her
life.”

At about 7am, Smith raped the girl, as she pleaded to go home and
was crying and shaking.

As he allowed her to leave, he told her she
would be “battered” and “killed” if she told the police.

The girl

revealed what had happened to a friend, and the police were contacted.

Mr Beardmore said she had suffered nightmares and now feared sleeping
alone or going out alone.

Jim Stephenson, defending, told the High Court
in Edinburgh Smith wanted to apologise to the victim. “He cannot believe he
carried out these acts,” he said.

The court heard Smith had an alcohol
dependency and had received treatment at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

He had attempted suicide by an overdose and was taking medication for
depression at the time of the offence.

His criminal record included
convictions for fireraising, and serious assault against a woman.

The
judge, Lord Brailsford, ordered that Smith must serve a minimum of seven years
before he could apply for parole.

He imposed an order for lifelong
restriction, and said Smith required treatment for underlying psychological
problems.

“An order for lifelong restriction is the only means the court
has of ensuring you will not be released until such time as the risk you pose
has been evaluated as being at an acceptable level,” Lord Brailsford
said.

If and when Smith is released, he will remain on licence for life
and be liable to be recalled to custody.

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