{"id":383854,"date":"2025-08-30T01:07:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T01:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/383854\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T01:07:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T01:07:13","slug":"man-locked-woman-in-property-before-pinning-her-to-sofa-in-rape-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/383854\/","title":{"rendered":"Man locked woman in property before pinning her to sofa in rape attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

A childcare team leader raped a young woman at his home after earlier meeting her in a pub.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Callum Mullen, 43, locked a door at the property in Bonnyrigg, in Midlothian, and attacked the 22-year-old on January 3, 2023.<\/p>\n

The High\u00a0Court\u00a0in Edinburgh heard that the woman was pinned to a sofa during the attack.<\/p>\n

She said that during the assault she told her attacker that he was hurting her and added: \u201cI told him to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mullen had denied\u00a0raping the woman and told the\u00a0court\u00a0he did not force himself on her. He said: \u201cI understand consent and it was consensual sex.\u201d<\/p>\n

He claimed that he did not know what caused the woman to be distressed after the encounter.<\/p>\n

Mullen told the\u00a0court\u00a0he worked with children in care and had been appointed as a team leader to a staff of 15 but was suspended following the incident.<\/p>\n

Advocate depute Lisa Gillespie KC told the\u00a0court: \u201cA woman who is grabbed, pinned down, forcibly undressed, ignored when she protests is not freely agreeing to anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman was found by a friend in a bathroom, sitting on the floor and rocking back and forth after the attack before fleeing from the house.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

A police officer said when she met her the victim was extremely upset, crying and gagging.<\/p>\n

Mullen was out drinking in bars before the attack and met the victim and other women in a pub before returning to his home.<\/p>\n

Judge Alison Stirling remanded Mullen in custody after the jury found him guilty of the rape by a majority verdict. Sentence was deferred on Mullen, who was on bail during his trial, for the preparation of a background report.<\/p>\n

He was placed on the sex offenders\u2019 register. The judge ordered that the case be\u00a0referred to Scottish Ministers under legislation for the protection of vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n

She said to jurors: \u201cIt has been a difficult and anxious case for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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