DUNCAN BEGG CONVICTED OF RAPE AND ASSAULT IN CAITHNESS AND SKYE

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Caithness and Skye, Duncan Begg, a man with ties to both regions, has been found guilty of heinous crimes involving two women during the early 1990s. The conviction comes after a lengthy legal process that culminated in a jury verdict delivered at the High Court in Aberdeen.

Beg, aged 43 and originally from Caithness, faced numerous allegations spanning over a quarter of a century. He was accused of committing multiple sexual offences, including three counts of rape and lewd acts involving three children. Throughout the trial, Beg vehemently denied all charges, asserting that any sexual contact he had with the women was consensual. He also maintained that he was innocent of the accusations brought against him.

Despite his denials, the jury took less than two hours to reach a verdict, convicting Beg of eight separate offences linked to two women. The court heard harrowing details of the assaults, including a particularly disturbing incident in 1991 when one of his victims was pregnant. During this assault, Begg reportedly banged her head against bars, inserted his hand inside her body, and threatened to harm her unborn child. The same woman was assaulted again on a different occasion, where Begg subjected her to repeated punches to the face and burned her breast with a cigarette. The brutality escalated when he poured a bottle of whisky over her face and subsequently raped her.

Another victim, assaulted in 1990, recounted how Begg seized her by the hair, dragged her into a kitchen, and forcibly removed her clothes. She was then forced outside in the nude, where he raped her. These incidents highlight the severity and brutality of the crimes for which Begg has now been convicted.

Judge Morris, presiding over the case, decided to defer sentencing until August 1, pending the preparation of background reports. The sentencing will take place at the High Court in Glasgow, where the full extent of Begg’s actions and the appropriate punishment will be determined. The case has left a lasting impact on the victims and has brought to light the dark history of abuse associated with Duncan Begg, whose connections to Caithness and Skye have now become part of this tragic chapter in local criminal history.