A sexual predator who raped a woman in Fife while she was suffering a debilitating migraine has been jailed for seven years.
James Lowe, 39, attacked the woman at her home in Kirkcaldy in the first of a series of sex crimes he carried out against vulnerable women.
Lowe, of Methil, had denied a series of charges during a trial but was found guilty of raping three women and sexually assaulting one of them.
During proceedings at the High Court in Edinburgh he also admitted failing to appear at the court on February 23 this year without reasonable excuse.
Effect on rape survivors
On Thursday at a sentencing hearing, Judge Alison Stirling heard how Lowe continues to maintain his innocence.
Passing sentence, judge Stirling ordered him to be supervised by the authorities for three years upon his release from jail.
She also made reference to statements provided by Lowe’s victim and added: “The first complainer in the case tells of how she feels disgusted and that it has affected her relationship with her partner.
“She has lost confidence.
“Another complainer has been left with post traumatic stress order.
“I have taken into account everything which has been said to me on your behalf by your counsel.
“However, custody is the only appropriate disposal in this case.”
Migraine attack
At earlier proceedings, the court heard how Lowe attacked his first victim in 2012 at an address in Kirkcaldy, molesting the woman and raping her after removing her clothing.
The woman told the court she met Lowe while he was working in security.
She said on the day of the attack she was in her bedroom in the afternoon suffering from a migraine attack.
She said her eyes were closed and a pillow was over her face.
The woman said in pre-recorded evidence: “My eyes were really sore and I needed to block out the light.”
She said she was “absolutely exhausted” and her head was aching.
She said Lowe lay on the bed and put an arm around her and his hand down her pants.
She told the court: “I held his hand and pushed it away. I told him ‘no’, my head was sore.”
The woman said she could not lift her head off the pillow but repeatedly told him ‘no’.
Lowe got on top of her and had sex.
She told the court: “I was just lying there.”
She said she neither wanted nor consented to sex.
‘Sorry’ text
The woman said she later sent him a text telling that she felt horrible and felt as if she was forced to have sex.
She said: “I remember him saying he was sorry.”
Lowe was convicted of raping the woman on an occasion between March 1 and April 30 in 2012.
He went on to rape a second woman on an occasion in October 2019 when he assaulted the sleeping victim at a house in Methil.
Lowe continued the sex attack after she woke.
A third woman was also raped on an occasion between April 1 and May 31 2020 at an address in Buckhaven when she was asleep and incapable of consenting.
He also committed a further sexual assault on the woman.
Expelled from school for teacher assault
Following the verdicts the jury learned Lowe has previous convictions for assault and threatening or abusive behaviour but not for sexual offences.
On Thursday, the court heard how he had been bullied as a child and had been expelled from school aged 15 for assaulting a teacher.
Defence advocate Lynsey Morgan said: “Mr Lowe continues to maintain his innocence.
“He does accept and understand that due to the nature of the convictions that he will receive a lengthy custodial sentence.
“I can only ask the court to exercise as much leniency as it can in the circumstances.”
Judge Stirling also told Lowe that he will spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders Register.
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