KEVIN TURNER SENTENCED IN EDINBURGH FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THREATS AGAINST TOURIST

At the High Court in Edinburgh today, Kevin Turner was handed down a severe sentence after being found guilty of serious sexual assault and threatening behaviour involving a tourist. The presiding judge, Lord Braid, sentenced Turner to an extended term totaling 12 years, comprising an initial custodial period of six years followed by a six-year extension. The court emphasized that any breach of the conditions set during the extension period could result in Turner being recalled to serve the entire sentence in custody.

During the sentencing hearing, Lord Braid detailed the gravity of the crimes committed by Turner. He stated, “Kevin Turner, you were convicted by the jury of assault with intent to rape, charge 12 on the indictment, and of threatening and abusive behaviour in terms of charge 13. The victim was a Japanese tourist, a stranger to you, and the incident involved a disturbing breach of her personal safety.”

The judge explained that Turner had forcibly entered the victim’s accommodation, physically assaulted her by grabbing her neck and pinning her against a wall, then pushed her onto the floor and attempted to remove her lower clothing. Throughout this ordeal, Turner repeatedly demanded sex, with the intent to commit rape. The assault was described as prolonged, lasting up to an hour, during which the victim struggled to fend off the attack and eventually managed to persuade Turner to leave her flat. Lord Braid noted that Turner’s actions appeared premeditated, as he had knocked on the victim’s door with the apparent goal of gaining access to her flat, indicating an initial intent to commit a sexual offence without consent.

According to the Criminal Justice Social Work Report, Turner claimed to have little memory of the incident, offering no substantial explanation. However, it was evident from the report that he was preoccupied with sexual thoughts at the time, compounded by the influence of alcohol and drugs. The court assessed Turner as posing a high risk of reoffending sexually and violently in the future.

The impact on the victim was profound. While she has recovered physically from her injuries, she continues to suffer from daily flashbacks, a trauma that Lord Braid acknowledged as understandable given the terrifying nature of the assault in her own home, a place where she should have felt safe. Her victim impact statement underscored the lasting psychological scars left by the attack.

Regarding the second charge, which involved threatening behaviour, the court found it less severe but still connected to the same incident. Turner approached another stranger, suggested a sexual encounter, and engaged in conduct that had a significant sexual component. The court recognized the seriousness of this offence as well.

Turner’s criminal history includes several previous convictions, notably two assaults that were domestically aggravated, recorded in 2008 and 2017. In mitigation, his legal counsel highlighted various unresolved issues in his life, which, while not excusing his conduct, might help explain his actions. The judge expressed hope that Turner would address these underlying problems during his sentence.

In delivering the sentence, Lord Braid emphasized that the nature of the offences, especially the assault occurring within the victim’s home, warranted a custodial sentence. He stated that the risk to public safety was significant enough to justify an extended sentence, which combines a fixed-term imprisonment with a period of supervised release. The conditions of this extended period would be set by the Scottish Ministers, and any breach could lead to Turner being recalled to prison.

The total sentence was backdated to 10 May 2021, and Turner will be subject to the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 indefinitely. For the lesser charge, a concurrent sentence of four months imprisonment was also imposed, similarly backdated to 10 May 2021.

Overall, the court’s decision reflects the seriousness of Turner’s offences and the need to protect the community from future harm, while also recognizing the potential for rehabilitation during his time in custody.