Rapist jailed for 10 years for island sex attacks on teenage girls

A 71-year-old rapist who carried out sex attacks on teenage girls in the 1990s in Shetland has been jailed for 10 years.

Anthony McElhone attacked his victims at locations including Lerwick, Sandwick and Symbister.

He targeted his first victim between 1993 and 1995 when she was aged 15 and 16.

The former Royal Navy sailor went on to subject a second girl to repeated abuse from the age of 16 between 1995 and 1996, and also raped her.

McElhone, formerly of Morton-on-Swale in North Yorkshire, was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh, where the judge said his past had caught up with him.

Judge Lady Ross told McElhone: "About 30 years ago in the early to mid-1990s in Shetland you committed sexual offences against two teenage girls and now your past has finally caught up with you."

She added: "I will acknowledge the courage shown by your two victims in speaking up and coming forward."

The judge told McElhone that he was an arrogant man who accepted no responsibility for his offending.

"You are responsible for causing deep and continuing suffering," she said.

McElhone, who followed the sentencing proceedings via a video link from prison, was placed on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.