A man has been convicted of trying to rape a woman as she walked home from a train station late at night because she was religious. The 21-year-old told the High Court in Glasgow she thought that 22-year-old David Bell was going to kill her. The woman said she asked Bell: "Why me?” and he replied: “Religion is poison” The court heard that Bell who claims to be an atheist grabbed her by the neck, pushed her to the ground before repeatedly attempting to rape her on December 10 or 11 in Irvine, Ayrshire. Bell claimed that any sexual contact with the woman was consensual and that she had approached him. Judge Lord Turnbull told Bell: "You have been convicted of a most serious offence indeed. The jury saw right through the disgraceful pack of lies you told. You preyed upon a young woman and attacked her in the dark. This was conduct of a most despicable sort. "This young woman thought she was going to be killed. Any man who conducts himself the way you did forfeits his right to live in the community." During Bell's trial the jury was shown CCTV footage of the victim and a friend walking past the Rivergate shopping centre in Irvine before going separate ways just before midnight. As the victim walked home alone Bell began walking behind her in the same direction. In her evidence, the woman told of how she was grabbed from behind. She told prosecutor Leanne Cross: "He put a hand over my mouth and nose. He told me if I screamed he would break my neck." He then dragged her into a secluded area and pinned her to the ground before repeatedly trying to rape her. Advocate depute Miss Cross asked her: "How did you feel when that happened?" and she replied: "Terrified." Defence counsel advocate Susan Duff suggested that the girl had already met her attacker at a nightclub in Irvine prior to December 10. Mrs Duff also said that she and Bell they had been "talking and having a laugh", and that she had instigated sexual conduct. The woman said: "No, that's a lie." She told the court how her life had been affected by the attack, saying: "I can't go out at night time. When I do I can't be outside on my own. My mum has to pick me up from work. I don't really travel on my own." The victim's mother described her as withdrawn since the incident and added: "She won't walk on her own, she always loved walking everywhere." Lord Turnbull deferred sentence on Bell, who is a prisoner in Kilmarnock, until next month for background reports.
Poster Comment:
Atheists by definition are evil.
