DUNCAN BURNS FROM BIRKHILL SENTENCED FOR RAPE AT STIRLING UNIVERSITY

Duncan Burns, a 24-year-old resident of Birkhill near Dundee, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of raping a female student at Stirling University. Burns, who held a position as an accommodation liaison officer at the university, was found guilty following a High Court trial held in Livingston last month.

On Tuesday, during the sentencing hearing, Lord Mulholland imposed the prison term and ordered Burns to be placed on the sex offenders register. The judge emphasized the severity of Burns' actions, stating, “Despite making it plain that she did not want to have sexual intercourse with you, you ignored her wishes and used force to have sexual intercourse with her. That amounts to the crime of rape in Scotland. This court takes a very serious view of such criminal conduct.”

The court heard distressing details about the incident, including how the victim, after the assault, returned to her flat and sought to understand what had happened by googling the definition of rape. She provided evidence from behind a screen, recounting how Burns used his physical strength to force himself upon her against her will. The woman explained, “I always perceived rape to be more like with a stranger or with violence. I knew I’d said no and he knew I was saying no.”

She also revealed that she initially liked Burns and had started visiting his room, where he persistently pressured her into having sex, despite her repeated refusals. The court found Burns guilty of kissing the victim on her breast before raping her in one of the university’s halls of residence in March of the previous year. However, he was acquitted of raping a second woman involved in the case.

Burns, who resides on Rosemount Road in Birkhill, was convicted of the assault and is now facing a significant prison sentence for his actions at Stirling University, highlighting the serious consequences of such criminal conduct.