The 31-year-old attacked three victims over a five-year marketing campaign of abuse.
Damien Harrier has been jailed (Picture: Police Scotland)
A former private coach and bodybuilder has been jailed for repeatedly raping two ladies. Damien Harrier, 31, attacked three ladies throughout his marketing campaign of abuse between 2018 and 2023, together with one who he strangled.
He was convicted of 9 offences, together with 5 counts of rape, following a trial on the Excessive Courtroom in Edinburgh earlier than being jailed for 12 years on Friday (April 17). Harrier, previously of Perth in Scotland, has additionally been placed on the intercourse offenders register for all times. The courtroom heard how he met one among his victims whereas working as a private coach.
As reported by the Each day Document, Harrier started his offending in 2018 when he repeatedly raped a lady at a home in Perth between June and October. Throughout one assault, he grabbed the sufferer’s neck and restricted her respiratory.
Then, between September 2021 and June 2022, Harrier launched a marketing campaign of abuse towards a second sufferer. He attacked her at places in Perth, St Andrews and Dunfermline, in addition to in a gymnasium.
Harrier sexually assaulted the girl and remoted her from her associates. The courtroom heard how he monitored her cellphone use and acted aggressively in the direction of her.
Harrier additionally hit the girl throughout intercourse and subjected her to a penetrative intercourse assault. In the meantime, a 3rd sufferer was additionally focused by the previous private coach between August 2022 and February 2023.
He additionally stopped her from interacting along with her associates and monitored her social media accounts. In addition to raping her thrice, Harrier additionally falsely accused her of giving him a sexually transmitted an infection.
Harrier was a bodybuilder and private coach (Picture: UGC)
Angela Grey KC, defending Harrier, mentioned he understood among the injury he had attributable to his crimes. She added he has promised to take advantage of his time in custody and can educate himself by way of the Open College earlier than being launched.
Harrier instructed the courtroom he took half in bodybuilding and was a private coach. Nevertheless, he admitted that he was a jealous particular person and “suffered from low self-worth and questioned my value”.
Detective Sergeant Kelly Paton mentioned: “Harrier abused these ladies each bodily and emotionally and has been convicted of significant offences.
“I might prefer to thank the ladies who engaged with police and instructed us what had occurred to them. With their assist we have been capable of deliver this case earlier than a courtroom who finally discovered Harrier responsible of horrific abuse.
“Police Scotland will at all times totally examine, and we’re right here to pay attention and assist victims. Anybody who’s a sufferer of abuse or believes they know somebody who could also be a sufferer, please contact us or related assist companies.”
Harrier ‘bought a kick out of seeing her in ache’
A relative of one of many victims mentioned: “She mentioned that it occurred on a number of events. She had requested him to cease and that he did not or would not and that he appeared to get a kick out of seeing her in ache and discomfort and saying ‘no’.”
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In the meantime, one other sufferer, who met Harrier by way of her curiosity in bodybuilding, mentioned: “I started to actually like him. I felt he was fairly a cool man. Possibly one thing of a foul man as effectively, however in the direction of me he was affectionate.”
Nevertheless, she added: “He bought tremendous, tremendous indignant impulsively.” She mentioned he was “an enormous man” and would act aggressively.
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