Brutal rapist who threatened pregnant victim with knife and tried to suffocate woman with pillow jailed

A serial rapist who subjected his victims to violence and controlling abuse has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

24-year-old Owen Orr raped four women and sexually abused two of his victims multiple times. He also physically attacked a fifth woman.

Orr began abusing women at the age of 17, and at the age of 20 he began committing rape.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told him: “Your offending was an appalling catalogue of sexual violence and abusive behaviour.”

Lord Doherty said a background report prepared on Orr showed he continued to deny responsibility for the offences, adding: “You have shown no remorse.”

The judge said the victims suffered lasting consequences as a result of Orr’s crimes.

Lord Doherty said: “You were not an adult when these offences were committed, but you were an adult, aged 20 to 22, when the most serious offences were committed.”

He ordered that Orr serve four years of community supervision after his prison sentence, during which time he would be on probation and could be sent back to prison if he violated the conditions.

Orr, an inmate, began his series of violent crimes in Hawick, Scottish Borders, in 2018 when he targeted a victim for violence.

He threw a can at her, hitting her in the body, punched her in the face, grabbed her hair and arms, grabbed her head and slammed it against a doorframe.

Between September 2019 and December the following year, he verbally abused a second woman at addresses in Midlothian, repeatedly shouting and swearing at her and making abusive comments and derogatory remarks.

He took away her cell phone, isolated her from her family and friends, put her in a headlock and slammed her head against a wall.

On one occasion, he placed his hand over the pregnant victim’s nose and mouth, obstructing her breathing. Another time, he followed her and tried to drag her into a field, claiming he had a knife.

Orr also raped her when she was pregnant after taking her phone on October 31, 2020.

Between August and November of the following year, Orr subjected another woman to a series of abuses.

He shouted at her, verbally abused her and threatened her with violence at locations in Hawick and Midlothian. Orr also threatened to kill her cat and a dog and kicked the dog. He also raped her twice at a house in Hawick after fighting with her.

In 2022, he raped and abused another woman in Melrose, Scottish Borders, repeatedly kicking her and on one occasion putting a pillow over her head, preventing her from breathing, and threatening to kill her.

He also assaulted and raped another woman at an address in Penicuik, Midlothian, in August 2022.

Orr had been released at the time of his latter offence on six separate bail orders made by the sheriff courts in Edinburgh, Jedburgh and Selkirk.

Defence lawyer Sarah Loosemore said Orr had no previous convictions and had had “some difficulties” in his life.

Orr was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and Lord Doherty made orders prohibiting him from contacting or attempting to contact his victims.