Hospital rapist jailed for six years after retrial Published duration 4 September 2018

image copyright Spindrift image caption Ferguson's first conviction was quashed because of a legal technicality and a retrial was ordered by appeal judges

A man who raped a woman in a hospital has been convicted for a second time of a catalogue of sexual abuse over a 14-year period.

Andrew Ferguson, 37, who forced his two victims to give evidence twice, was jailed for six years.

Ferguson's first conviction was quashed because of a legal technicality and a retrial was ordered by appeal judges.

After a second trial at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year, the sex attacker was again found guilty.

Lord Matthews told Ferguson: "You were convicted for a second time of a catalogue of sexual offences.

"You were originally sentenced to eight years and appealed against sentence.

"That was successful, there was a retrial and you were convicted once again."

Hospital attack

The judge said an appeal court decision meant he was unable to sentence him to more than eight years.

As Ferguson had spent almost two years in jail before he was released, the judge said six years was the maximum sentence the court was allowed to impose.

Ferguson, of Clackmannan, Clackmannanshire, attacked his first victim at the nurses' residence at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, in 2000.

The court heard he went on to rape another woman years later at houses in Cairneyhill and Inverkeithing, both in Fife.

Ferguson denied raping either woman and claimed any sex was consensual.

But a jury convicted him of seven charges, between 2000 and 2014, including rape and sexual assault.

Ferguson was placed on the sex offenders register.

Defence counsel John McElroy said: "He has to respect the decision of the jury, but doesn't agree with it.

"He is assessed as being of medium risk of re-offending."