Rapist who abducted girl at knifepoint from Edinburgh bus stop facing life sentence

A rapist who abducted a 15-year-old girl at knifepoint from a bus stop and attacked her in his basement has been told he is facing a life sentence for a spate of violent crimes.

Aaron Strachan, 21, was branded a "deeply dangerous individual" by Judge Michael O'Grady KC at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Strachan was due to be sentenced for the rape and two separate serious assaults, which included a knife attack on one man and a claw hammer attack on another.

He was warned he faces an order for lifelong restriction (OLR), which requires a mandatory assessment before it can potentially be imposed.

An OLR is a lifelong sentence with a minimum jail term that is usually reserved for the most serious court cases in Scotland that do not involve murder.

The judge told Strachan it was an "appalling course of criminal conduct", adding: "You are clearly out of control.

"The crime of rape which you have committed is as disturbing and as wicked as I have seen on these many years on the bench."

Strachan, whose actions were previously described by the judge as "totally depraved and utterly wicked", stalked his rape victim in the Scottish capital on 25 May 2025.

He then pulled a knife on her and marched her through the streets to his basement in York Place, where he raped her.

The judge compared Strachan's actions to a "wild animal stalking its prey".

He added: "This is the stuff of nightmares for every woman, every young girl, and every parent who waits at home for their child to return safe. This child did not return safe."

The girl told her mother about the attack and Strachan was arrested days later while hiding behind bushes in the city's Dalry area.

At a court hearing in December, Strachan pleaded guilty to abducting and raping the teenager.

He also admitted two further serious assault charges against two male victims, which included repeatedly striking one man on the hand with a knife and hitting another man on the head with a claw hammer to his severe injury, permanent impairment and disfigurement.

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On Tuesday, the judge noted Strachan's 13 previous convictions and said some of the crimes had featured "significant violence".

He requested an assessment for an OLR. Under an OLR, a court sets a minimum jail term the offender must serve, and if they are ever released back into the community they remain under a lifelong risk management plan.

The judge also granted non-harassment orders, banning Strachan - who appeared in court via video link from prison - from contacting his victims.

The case was adjourned for sentencing on 16 June.

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