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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Grant McCabe

Teenager raped in Glasgow hotel heard begging 'please, please stop' in harrowing recording

A rapist was caught after his teenage victim secretly recorded him carrying out the attack.

Craig McWhirter, 30, forced himself on the 19 year-old at the Dakota Hotel in Glasgow city centre.

The young woman managed at the time to capture a harrowing audio recording on her phone which was played to jurors.

READ MORE: Glasgow man 'executed' in jail cell by Scotland's 'most dangerous prisoner'

In it, the distressed victim could be heard repeatedly begging: "Please, please stop..."

She also pleaded to go to sleep, but burly McWhirter insisted she was "in his bed".

The sex attacker was today convicted of rape at the High Court in Glasgow.

McWhirter had earlier tried to dodge justice by failing to appear for an earlier scheduled trial in Edinburgh last September.

He went AWOL before being arrested on a warrant later that month.

McWhirter repeatedly shook his head as the guilty verdict was delivered.

Lord Scott remanded him in custody pending sentencing next month.

The court heard how the victim had been working as an escort at the time and had agreed to meet McWhirter at the hotel for money on July 22 2019.

The pair initially had consensual sex and were later seen together standing outside.

It was after returning to the room that McWhirter then raped the young woman.

In the recording, she was also heard complaining of being in pain.

The tearful victim was eventually able to alert hotel staff to what had happened.

She was described as "pale and shaken" while stating she had been raped.

She had to call her father to come and collect her.

After McWhirter was held by police, he was played the recording the woman captured.

When it was put to him she was crying "no" and "stop", McWhirter stated: "It sounds like that, aye."

But, he went on to claim: "I do not rape folk."

In her speech to jurors, prosecutor Tracey Brown said the evidence against McWhirter was "quite compelling".

She also stated: "No means no whatever you do for a living."

After the verdict, Miss Brown revealed McWhirter was a first offender.

Lord Scott adjourned sentencing for reports.

He told jurors: "Some of what you had to listen to was no doubt distressing and upsetting, but you will understand why you had to hear it.

"It was done because it had to be done."

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