John Sturgeon guilty of rape, physical and sexual abuse

John Sturgeon hunted down the victims and raped them both repeatedly at locations in Kilwinning, Irvine and Kilmarnock.

The 41-year-old also insulted them, checked their whereabouts and questioned their phones.

Jurors heard that he treated one of them like a “dog or slave”, repeatedly snapping his fingers to get them to attend to him immediately.

Sturgeon denied the allegations during a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

During his testimony on his wedding day, he claimed that the victims had “described someone he was not.”

However, the jury found him guilty on a total of ten counts.

He was convicted of rape and sexual abuse of both of them, as well as of mistreating the couple.

Sturgeon was also guilty of attempted rape of the latter woman.

The crimes occurred between 2018 and 2021.

He also raped the first woman in a holiday home near Dundee.

Sturgeon, last known as Rosyth in Fife, was remanded in custody as sentencing was postponed until next month.

Sturgeon, who previously held senior positions in the hospitality industry, knew the first victim before but re-contacted her via Instagram.

She soon began to suffer under him: he tormented her by criticizing her appearance, stalking her by phone, text message and email, and limiting her contact with family and friends.

The jury was shown a video clip in which Sturgeon can be seen making “rude and quite offensive remarks” to the woman.

He also hit the victim and injured her by throwing a mobile phone at her.

Sturgeon was questioned about the rape allegations by her Crown attorney Gary Allan during her testimony.

But Sturgeon insisted: “I never asked for anything in a sexual way.”

The second woman suffered a similar ordeal.

Mr. Allan once asked him, “Have you tried to treat her like some kind of dog or slave by snapping your fingers?”

Sturgeon: “Absolutely not.”

Evidence was also presented at trial that he had forced her to participate in a “rape role play.”

Sturgeon told the court: “This is pure invention. It did not happen.”

According to prosecutors, he also forced his victim to send him nude photos of herself and to shoot an intimate video.

Sturgeon also threatened to make false allegations against the woman to the police.

Mr Allan asked Sturgeon whether he had lied in the witness box.

He replied, “Absolutely not. You’re trying to describe me as something I’m not.”

“For some strange reason, I find myself sitting here listening to two women describe someone who is not me.”

Lord Arthurson adjourned sentencing to obtain reports.