Ryan Lafferty jailed for brutal rape of Glasgow student Published duration 16 July 2013

image caption Lafferty admitted raping the student in Glasgow's west end

A man who admitted brutally raping a teenage student in Glasgow's west end has been jailed for eight years.

Ryan Lafferty, from Millerston, subjected the 19-year-old woman to a horrific attack in Lilybank Gardens, near Ashton Lane, on 19 May 2012.

The 23-year-old grabbed his victim from behind, before repeatedly punching and dragging her along the ground.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Lafferty's victim had left her course and was being treated for depression.

Jailing him, judge Lady Scott told Lafferty: "This was the kind of violent assault which puts all women in fear of going out at night and robs them of their freedom of movement."

The judge noted that the 19-year-old student was a passing stranger.

'Predatory response'

She said: "Your immediate predatory response on seeing this young woman alone was very disturbing."

Lafferty halted a planned trial at the High Court in Glasgow in June by pleading guilty to raping the student.

The court heard how he pounced on his victim as she walked along Lilybank Gardens at about 01:50.

image caption The teenager was attacked in Lilybank Gardens in the city's west end

Prosecutor Neil Beardmore said: "The accused grabbed her from behind, with an arm round her neck and another around her waist. She struggled and screamed and was pushed to the ground."

Lafferty then crouched over the terrified woman and repeatedly punched her. When she stopped screaming he stopped punching her.

He then dragged her across to a set of steps, told her to lie down and raped her.

The terrified woman begged Lafferty not to do this and began screaming again.

The 23-year-old punched her several times on the face until she stopped screaming and then forced her to perform a sex act on him.

At one point the woman was able to shout for help and Lafferty grabbed her hair and tried to drag her down the steps.

Two passers-by went to her aid and found the victim to be so distressed that she was hyperventilating.

Club 'nuisance'

Mr Beardmore added: "The woman had her underwear at her knees. The police and ambulance were called."

The court heard that Lafferty made his way home and explained away scratches to his face by telling his girlfriend that he had been in a fight.

His victim was treated in hospital for bruising to her forehead, left eye, cheek and shoulder.

The court was told that unemployed Lafferty had been thrown out of Glasgow University's Queen Margaret Students Union for making a nuisance of himself.

Shortly before the rape he was seen collapsed through alcohol in a doorway in Lilybank Gardens.

Lafferty, who gave his name to medical students who tended to him, later emerged as a suspect during the police investigation.

The medical students called a taxi for him, but Lafferty wandered off and minutes later carried out the sex attack.

CCTV footage showed him hiding behind a van as the woman walked along Lilybank Gardens before following her.

The court heard that the clothes he wore that night were seized. Analysis of his jeans and boxer shorts revealed a partial profile of his victim's DNA.

The court heard that his victim still suffers nightmares and has difficulty sleeping.