A vicious domestic abuser from Dundee who raped multiple women, knocking some of them unconscious, has been jailed for 10 years.
Serial offender Derek Duncan was told he will remain under supervision for a further three years following his release from prison and his name will remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
A jury at the High Court in Dundee last month found the 32-year-old guilty of what a judge called “a disgraceful course of conduct” towards six different women at various addresses in Dundee between 2007 and 2020.
Duncan, who was convicted after trial of 17 serious offences – including four rapes – appeared for sentence at the High Court in Livingston via a video link from Perth Prison.
Jim Keegan QC, defending, said his client had been “brought up in a house of crime” and had been committing offences since the age of 11.
“It may be down to conditioning but I can understand why he was taking issue with his behaviour towards females.
“During his trial he was trying to minimise the effect of his behaviour on the females, which was quite inappropriate.
“He can see why the jury would take a very jaundiced view of it, given the number of females involved.
“If nothing else the trial has brought home to him the need to change his ways.
“He also knows he’ll be subject to a substantial period of incarceration today which he deserves, given the verdicts of the jury.”
13 years of terror
Duncan was convicted of shouting, swearing and making racial remarks to his first victim between November 26, 2007 and March 23, 2008 as well as taking indecent images of her without her consent and making threats.
He also repeatedly punched the woman on the head and body, locked her in her home, seized her throat and caused her to lose consciousness to the danger of her life.
He raped her on various occasions during the same time period.
Duncan assaulted the second woman by striking her head against a mirror, seizing her hair and seizing her throat between January 1 and July 5, 2009.
He raped her and took indecent images of her, posting the photographs online.
A third woman had her face struck against a car steering wheel by Duncan and had her neck pushed towards an exposed gear stick.
Duncan applied the handbrake as she drove and kicked a door, which struck her hand.
He grabbed her by the throat to the danger of her life.
The brute was also convicted of raping the same woman and taking indecent images of her.
Those offences were committed between September 1 2009 and June 28 2011.
He subjected a fourth woman to verbal abuse between February 1 and May 7, 2012, as well as choking and raping her.
Duncan repeatedly punched and kicked another woman on the head and body, pulled her hair, seized her neck and restricted her breathing between May 1, 2013 and September 30 2015.
Jurors also found Duncan guilty of repeatedly punching and kicking a sixth woman between August 2, 2018 and July 22, last year and twisting her arm, seizing her throat and causing her to lose consciousness to the danger of her life.
He also secretly filmed the woman while she was naked.
High risk of reoffending
Passing sentence, judge Lord Weir told Duncan he had considered carefully all that Mr Keegan had said on his behalf, particularly that which related to the nature of his upbringing.
He went on: “I also take into account the information in the criminal justice social work report from which it’s apparent to me to a significant degree you don’t fully accept responsibility for the offences of which you were convicted.
“It’s apparent that the jury were satisfied on the evidence that you were responsible for a disgraceful course of conduct towards these partners including coercion, controlling behaviour and physical and sexual violence.”
He said the offences represented a “significant escalation” of the seriousness of Duncan’s offending.
He added: “Unsurprisingly, you’re assessed as being at high risk of reoffending.
“In the circumstances there is no alternative to a substantial custodial sentence and an extended sentence is necessary to secure the public from serious harm.”
As well as imprisonment and supervision, he imposed a non-harassment order banning the accused from approaching or contacting the woman involved in the last four offences for an indefinite period.
Staffie attack offence
Duncan’s previous convictions included a prison sentence imposed in 2013 for ordering his Staffordshire Bull Terrier to attack a woman after she threw out his carry-out meal.
He was later acquitted of being the owner of a dangerous dog on appeal to the High Court.
His Staffie was kept in private kennels for almost two years at taxpayers’ expense – estimated to be around £30,000 – before being destroyed.
