Ex-bodybuilder caged for repeatedly raping two women during campaign of abuse

Damien Harrier, 31, has been convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh today of the nine crimes which included five offences of rape.

A former bodybuilder was jailed for 12 years today after brutalising women during a campaign of abuse that included repeatedly raping two victims.

Damien Harrier, 31, targeted three women for sexual violence during crimes committed between 2018 and 2023 in Perth and Fife. A judge told Harrier at the High Court in Edinburgh that she had read victim impact statements prepared in the case and said it was clear that the effects of his behaviour were serious and persisting.

Lady Haldane said that although he has never before served a jail sentence there was no alternative to a custodial disposal given the number and seriousness of the convictions. The judge said: “You were convicted of nine charges, comprising a catalogue of offending against three women.”

Harrier, formerly of Perth, had denied a series of charges at an earlier trial but was convicted of the nine crimes which including five offences of rape. The judge ordered that he should be under supervision in the community for a further three year period when he will be on licence and can be returned to prison if he breaches its terms.

Defence counsel Angela Gray KC told the court that Harrier continued to deny the sexual offending, but “respects the jury verdict”. She said: “It is acknowledged that a custodial sentence is inevitable.”

Harrier began his sexual offending in 2018 when he subjected a woman to repeated rapes between June and October that year at a house in Perth. During some of the sexual abuse he acted aggressively towards the victim and throttled her, restricting her breathing.

Between September 2021 and June the following year he launched a course of abusive behaviour at a second victim at locations in Perth, including a gym, and addresses in St Andrews and Dunfermline.

He isolated the woman from friends, monitored her phone use, shouted and acted aggressively and punched a hole in a door. He also hit the woman on the head with his hand during sex and subjected her to a penetrative sex attack on one occasion.

A third victim was also a target for abusive behaviour by Harrier between August 2022 and February 2023 when she too was isolated from her friends and he monitored her phone use and social media accounts.

Harrier prevented her from interacting with males and falsely accused her of giving him a sexually transmitted infection. He also raped the woman on three occasions at an address in Perth.

Harrier told the court during his trial that there were times when he took part in bodybuilding and powerlifting and also acted as a personal trainer.

He accepted in evidence that he was a jealous person and said: “I have always suffered from low self esteem and questioned my worth.”

A relative of one of the victims said the woman told her that she had been raped by Harrier. She said: “She said that it happened on several occasions. She had asked him to stop and that he didn’t or wouldn’t and that he seemed to get a kick out of seeing her in pain and discomfort and saying ‘no’.”

One victim said that she met Harrier through her own interest in bodybuilding. She said: “I began to really like him. I felt he was quite a cool guy. Maybe something of a bad guy as well, but towards me he was affectionate.”

But she said she then started to see another side of him. She said: “He got super, super angry all of a sudden.” She said he was “a big guy” and would act aggressively.

Ms Gray said Harrier understood that some of the extreme sexual practices he took part in were criminal and that harm had been caused.

She said he was resolved to make the most of his time in custody and planned to educate himself through the Open University to prepare himself for integration back into society on his release.

Harrier was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely. The judge made non harassment orders banning him from contacting or attempting to contact victims.

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