Slamannan rapist gets life sentence

Steven McKee (49), who comes from Slamannan, had been released early from jail for the attempted murder offence when he started sexually assaulting his 34-year-old victim in June 2019.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how McKee abused the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on various occasions between June 2019 and October 2019 at locations in St Andrews, Fife, and Glasgow.

Jurors heard how the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, became friends with McKee because she thought he was lonely.

But after having sex with him, McKee blackmailed her into having sex with him again by threatening to disclose intimate pictures and videos to her partner and her friends and family.

He also threatened to commit suicide if she stopped seeing him, saying his life wouldn’t be worth living without her.

During his campaign of controlling behaviour, McKee also bombarded her with phone calls and text messages and subjecting her to verbal abuse – even contacting her

partner to tell him they were having a relationship.

The court heard McKee told the woman that if she didn’t give him sex, he would "destroy her life”.

However, his victim bravely contacted police who subsequently launched an investigation into McKees.

Appearing at court on Wednesday, McKee had previously been given a 14-year extended sentence for attempting to murder his partner in 2011.

Judge Lady Poole said, with the evidence presented to court, the appropriate sentence available to her would be the imposition of an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

She told McKee, who was appearing from custody via videolink, he would only be released once the parole board were satisfied he no longer posed a threat to public safety.

Passing sentence, Lady Poole said: “You have concerning previous convictions. In 2011 you were convicted of attempting to murder a former partner when she sought to end a relationship with you.

“You had been released on July 24, 2015 under a licence which included special conditions of engaging in offence focused work in the area of domestic violence. Despite being under supervision and attending a domestic violence course you offended again.

“I am in no doubt that you are a dangerous man from whom the public must be protected. Given the nature and circumstances of the crime you committed, your previous offending and all of the information before me, I am satisfied that if you are at liberty, you will seriously endanger the lives or physical or psychological well being of members of the public at large.”

McKee was found guilty by jurors on charges of rape and psychological abuse charges in November last year.

During the trial, McKee’s victim told jurors about her ordeal.

In one text message, she pleaded to be left alone, stating: “Please just stop all of this. It's doing no one any good.”

She told the court: "He just wouldn't leave me alone. I was just hoping once he had said what he had to say that would be it and he would leave me alone."

She said McKee said "loads of nasty things" and called her "a cow".

Giving evidence, McKee claimed he had consensual sex with the woman.

He said: “She was a pretty girl. She is still a pretty girl.”

On Wednesday, defence advocate Fred MacKintosh QC told Lady Poole McKee still maintained he had not done anything wrong.

He said: “Mr McKee would like for the court not to impose an Order for Lifelong Restriction. He still maintains his innocence.”

However, Lady Poole told McKee that it was in the public interest for him to be locked up.

She told him that he would serve a minimum of four years for the latest offence before the parole board would be able to consider releasing him.

But McKee - who is on the Sex Offenders Register for life – was warned that his release wouldn’t be automatic.

Lady Poole said: “The Order for Lifelong Restriction means you will be subject to a sentence of imprisonment for an indeterminate period. You will only ever be released from prison into the community if the parole board can be satisfied that public safety will not be endangered.

"And even then you will be subject to conditions and liable to be recalled to prison if you break them. For the rest of your life, you will be subject to continuing risk

management and close supervision.

As Lady Poole left the bench, callous McKee could be seen on the video link rubbing his hands and then shouted: “Bring on my appeal. That’s what I say. Bring on my appeal.”

Back in 2011, McKee was given a 10-year prison term for stabbing his ex-partner at their home in the Falkirk area.

The woman was treated for serious injuries to her neck after the attack in July 2010.

During proceedings for that offence at the High Court in Glasgow, jurors heard how McKee was “devastated” when his partner called off their wedding a week before the ceremony was due to take place.

He stabbed her at their home telling her: “If I can't have you, nobody will.”

The woman fled to a neighbour's house with a seven-inch blade still sticking out of her neck.

At the time Lord Kinclaven ordered McKee to be supervised by the authorities for four years following his release from custody.