Woman ‘fears for safety every minute of every day’ after savage attacks in Dundee

A savage sex attacker who left a woman fearing for her safety every minute of every day has been jailed for more than seven years.

Gary Ironside, 29, subjected his victim to threats and physical and sexual violence, including rape.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh a victim impact statement prepared by the woman was “difficult to read”.

Lord Scott said: “Because of what you did to her she says ‘I fear for my safety every minute of every day’.”

The woman now suffers from PTSD and experiences anxiety and panic attacks in the wake of her abusive treatment by Ironside.

The judge told him: “You have displayed no real insight, little real remorse and no meaningful empathy for your victim.”

Ironside was convicted of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour towards the woman at four addresses in Dundee in 2022.

This included punching and striking her on the head and body and biting her to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement and raping her

He was also convicted after a trial of threatening or abusive behaviour towards a second woman in Dundee on August 4 2022 who he threatened with violence.

Sentencing

Lord Scott ordered Ironside should serve 179 days of an unexpired previous prison sentence imposed on him.

Following that the judge ruled he should then serve a further seven-year and two-month jail term, with a further three-year period on licence in the community when he can be returned to prison if he breaches conditions.

He told Ironside: “If you were to offend again in a similar manner you may well receive an Order for Lifelong Restriction, which is a form of life sentence.”

Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin said Ironside had accepted his guilt over behaving violently but denied there was a sexual element to his offending.

He said: “He is ashamed of the violence that the complainer suffered at his hands.”

Lord Scott made a non-harassment order banning Ironside from contacting or attempting to contact the victim of his violent, sexual offending.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

In 2015, Ironside was jailed for more than four years for attacking a 74-year-old man in his own home.

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