A man who attempted to rape a woman has she walked through a country estate in Edinburgh has been handed an lifelong restriction order after being deemed a risk to the public.
Paul Watson attacked a 58-year-old lady in the Drum Estate on August 13, 2021. The 33-year-old approached her from behind and forced her to the ground. The woman then struggled with Watson and fought back as he attempted to remove her clothing.
Police arrested the predator two days after the incident and he was subsequently charged.
Watson previously pled guilty to a charge of assault with intent to rape against the victim and on Thursday (March 2) was jailed for a minimum period of two years and three months under the Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR).
The order means that if he is ever released from prison he will be subject to conditions and monitoring for the rest of his life.
Detective Sergeant Douglas Mogg from Edinburgh Division’s Criminal Investigation Unit said: “We welcome this sentencing of Paul Watson who poses a high risk of offending.
“The incident was extremely frightening for the victim and I would like to pass on my thanks to her for her cooperation and support as police enquiries were ongoing.
“The local community were obviously very concerned by this incident and I would like to thank them also for their cooperation and assistance with the enquiry.
“The OLR will help to ensure that Watson is appropriately managed in line with the risk he poses to the community. Violent and sexual crimes remain a key priority for Police Scotland and we will always investigate thoroughly to ensure that perpetrators of such crimes are held to account for their actions.”
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