Prison for Grangemouth sex offender who attacked two women in Forth Valley area

John Fleeting, 38, subjected both of his victims to ordeals of physical and sexual violence during the sickening encounters.

Fleeting, from Grangemouth, denied a series of charges during a trial last year but was found guilty of three offences of rape and two of assault to injury. He also admitted a further charge of failing to appear at the High Court in February 2022.

One woman was subjected to assaults by Fleeting between February 2008 and June 2011 at houses in Alloa, Clackmannan, Tullibody and Tillicoultry, in Clackmannanshire.

During the violence Fleeting pushed her down a flight of stairs, repeatedly slapped her, pushed and shook her, throttled her and locked her in a house.

He also repeatedly raped the woman between January 2008 and September 2010 and on one occasion pushed her into a cupboard and locked her in before sexually assaulting and raping her.

Fleeting's second victim was repeatedly attacked by him at addresses in Clackmannanshire and Stirling between October 2013 and October 2015.

He punched her on the head and body, threw her into furniture and gripped her by the throat.

He also repeatedly punched the woman on the head and body before sexually assaulting and raping her on various occasions between October 2013 and April 2015.

At the High Court in Edinburgh today, Fleeting was told only a custodial sentence was appropriate and Judge Fiona Tait also ordered he should be under supervision for a further three year period upon his release.

He was also banned from contacting the two women he attacked for 15 years.

Defence counsel Lorenzo Alonzi said Fleeting had a lengthy criminal record, but his offending has reduced significantly in recent years.

The judge branded Fleeting a "a persistent offender" with previous convictions for assault and threatening or abusive behaviour and said the women he attacked should be commended for their courage in giving evidence.

She told Fleeting he would be on the sex offenders' register “indefinitely” following his sentencing.