A choose has praised the braveness of the victims of a serial stalker and rapist in giving proof towards an offender branded a “hazard to society”.
Lord Richardson made the remarks as he handed former squaddie Ian Ewart Ramsay, 49, a 13 yr sentence for an “appalling” marketing campaign of abuse towards 9 terrified ladies. The Excessive Courtroom in Edinburgh had heard how Ramsay obsessively pursued ladies throughout a six-year crime spree and used blackmail to get a girl to proceed to have intercourse with him.
Ramsay, who served within the first Gulf Conflict, bodily assaulted the ladies, stalked them and raped 4 of his victims, who can't be named for authorized causes. Ramsay, of Kelso, within the Scottish Borders, had denied a string of expenses throughout his trial.
He initially confronted a complete of 47 expenses, however the jury was solely requested to return verdicts on 21 expenses. He was acquitted of 1 rape, three assaults and a stalking allegation following a trial final Could.
Sentence had been deferred for the courtroom to acquire experiences on Ramsay’s background. The case referred to as once more on Friday and the courtroom heard how Ramsay nonetheless expresses no regret for his offences. Passing sentence, Lord Richardson informed Ramsay that he’d be supervised and be below licence for 3 years following his launch from custody.
He mentioned: “The offences to which you may have been convicted of present that you simply engaged in a course of behaviour that may solely be described as a marketing campaign of abuse towards these ladies. You refused to take no for a solution.
"It's clear to me from each from the proof that I've heard and from the Sufferer Affect Statements which I've learn that you simply made the lives of those ladies traumatic and totally insupportable. They're to be recommended for coming ahead to offer proof towards you.”
Throughout proceedings, the courtroom heard from one girl who was raped by Ramsay in resorts. She mentioned: "He's so manipulative. He's evil. He's a horrible, horrible particular person and is a hazard to society."
The 51-year-old supervisor met Ramsay, whom she knew as Ewart, via a web based courting web site and he informed her he was a farmer and was beforehand within the Military. She mentioned: "We might meet in varied eating places and resorts in Glasgow and infrequently the Borders."
However the girl mentioned he turned possessive and controlling. She informed the courtroom: "It was continuous harassment. Quite a lot of instances I attempted to interrupt off with him however he wouldn't have it. It was horrendous. It was the worst expertise of my life."
She mentioned that Ramsay stole her telephone and took photos from it to blackmail her with. She added: "It was horrible. I could not do away with him. At one stage I used to be even considering suicide it was that dangerous. I would want to go together with him and meet up with him in varied resorts and I simply didn't need to be there."
Prosecutor Kath Harper requested her if she had wished to have intercourse with him on these events and she or he replied: "No. I assumed it was the one means I may handle the scenario as a result of he had these photos."
She mentioned Ramsay had taken intimate photos and movies of intercourse from her telephone and threatened to ship them to her boss, household and associates. She added: "I used to be completely traumatised. It was horrendous."
She mentioned Ramsay was "unhinged" and added: "He simply wouldn't take 'no' for a solution." The lady mentioned that in a confrontation at a spa resort in Renfrewshire he head butted her within the face, leaving her bleeding.
She mentioned she made her method to the reception and added: "I used to be terrified. He was roaming the grounds in search of me." Employees on the reception contacted police.
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Ramsay was discovered responsible of raping the lady on varied events between January 1 and December 31 in 2014. He was additionally convicted of stalking her by repeatedly calling and sending her messages, making threats to reveal intimate photos of her and accessing her telephone and downloading the photographs with out her permission. He was additionally convicted of assaulting her by headbutting her.
Ramsay went on to rape a second girl at an handle in Jedburgh whereas she was asleep or intoxicated now and again between January 2016 and December the next yr and bombarded her with calls and messages and threatened to distribute intimate photos of her. One other girl was raped by him at a home close to Kelso whereas she was asleep or intoxicated between November 2016 and January 2017 on two event.
The fourth rape sufferer was subjected to intercourse assaults by him in Jedburgh in 2019. She was additionally bodily assaulted by him. She mentioned she was subjected to blackmail by him. Ramsay admitted he had photos of the lady which he claimed they'd taken collectively however denied utilizing them to threaten her.
He continued to commit stalking offences towards ladies into 2020 and even perpetrated the abuse when he was freed below courtroom bail orders. Ramsay, who was beforehand jailed for theft and assault, was remanded in custody for the preparation of a background report.
On Friday, defence advocate Ronnie Renucci QC requested Lord Richardson to be as lenient as doable along with his shopper. He mentioned: “He has been a beneficial member of society previously. He served within the military and he has served within the first Gulf Conflict.
“Since being discharged from the military, he has been nearly steady employment. He’s not an unintelligent man. He accepts that if he doesn't handle his offending, he spend the remainder of his life out and in of jail.”
Nonetheless, Lord Richardson informed Ramsay, who has been positioned on the Intercourse Offenders Register, that jail was the one sentence obtainable to him.
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