Rapist care worker who abused vulnerable women is jailed

A care worker who repeatedly sexually assaulted a resident at a care home in North Berwick and raped another vulnerable woman in Tranent has been jailed for eight years.

During sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh the judge told Robert Wilson, 53, he was guilty of "a terrible breach of trust".

Lady Ross also told him he would spend a further three years on licence following his release.

Wilson attacked Yvonne Carnie - who suffered from a progressive brain disorder which affected her mobility - at the residential home where she was receiving care.

Following an earlier trial, he was found guilty of a series of sex attacks on Carnie between August 2022 and February 2023.

He was also convicted of raping a younger woman between January 1 and March 5 in 2013 at an address in Tranent, in East Lothian.

During the attack he forced her to the floor and subjected her to sex acts, the trial heard.

Carnie was receiving care as she had a progressive brain disorder which affected her mobility.

Her family said she died age 70, before the case concluded and "without ever feeling truly safe again".

During the trial, the High Court in Edinburgh heard that Carnie was receiving round-the-clock care for a rare condition called progressive supranuclear palsy.

It is caused by a build up of protein in the brain and can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.

Over the course of seven months, Wilson subjected Carnie to attacks including kissing her and touching her body.

Wilson was also accused of raping Carnie while she was asleep, and continuing the attack after she woke, but he was found not guilty of this charge.

Jurors were shown footage of specially trained police officers interviewing Yvonne, who said she had dementia.

She said she knew they were going to talk about "the bad man", who she called Robert.

Speaking about one incident, she said: "It made me feel dirty."

Wilson, who has a mild learning difficulty, told the court that he knew it would be wrong for him in the role of a carer to have sex with a resident at the home and added: "But it never happened."

Defence solicitor advocate Cameron Tait said that Wilson maintained his innocence. He said: "He is, and will continue to, cooperate fully in the prison system."

Wilson was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and Lady Ross made a non harassment order banning him contacting the rape victim.

During sentencing, the judge told Wilson that his abuse of the resident was for the victim and her family "their worst nightmare".

Lady Ross said: "She was scared of you and that fear stayed with her until she died."

The judge said that she had read victim statements provided by family members of Yvonne Carnie and said it was clear that the effects of Wilson's offending for them had been "devastating".

She said: "Very often it is hard for people to make a decision to move into a care home and it is hard too for their family members.

"What should make it easier is the knowledge that there are caring, professional staff."

Catherine Hammond, a senior associate at Digby Brown Solicitors, made a statement on behalf of the family outside the court.

She said: "No amount of time in custody can undo the calculated, predatory disregard this man showed for our mother worsened by his lack of remorse and sickening denial.

"While we carry the bitter weight of what she endured and the dignity stolen in her final years."

The family said they were proud of the courage Yvonne showed that became "key" in stopping the abuse.

They said the case has exposed what happens when a predator uses their position to groom and isolate a vulnerable person.

"Our family will have our time to address the systematic failures that allowed this to happen.

"We want to thank everyone who has supported us but today is about the fact that our mother's voice was finally heard," they added.