AN UNREPENTANT rapist who called his 14-year-old victim "a slapper" is facing possible further curbs after he finishes his four-and-a-half year jail term.
Former refuse lorry driver John Tunnicliffe, 42, was brought from his cell to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh yesterday on the orders of the Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC.
As Scotland's top prosecutor, she recently called for a bette
r deal for victims of alleged rape. Ms Angiolini also told MSPs a change in public attitude was needed and just because a woman dressed in a certain way she was not asking to be raped.
Appeal judges were told yesterday that Tunnicliffe should have been given an extended sentence – which would enable him to be kept under supervision after his release for longer than the usual licence period.
Advocate depute David Young, for the Crown, said Tunnicliffe told social workers the girl had started it by "pursuing him in a sexually predatory way". The social workers reported him saying: "She wore revealing clothing" and that he called her "a slapper".
He pleaded guilty to raping the girl at his home in Galashiels in April 2000.
Lord Johnston, sitting with Lords Penrose and Mackay of Drunadoon called for reports before deciding whether to impose further conditions.
The full article contains 225 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
