Barber raped women and filmed victim's distress for social media

A barber who raped two women and shared footage of his victims on social media, and with another man, has been jailed for 10 years.

Anas Almarjeh was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow after judge Lady Hood told him he had taken no responsibility for the crimes or shown "any insight" into the harm he had caused.

Almarjeh had denied the accusations at a trial in October last year, but jurors found him guilty of two rape charges as well as another of engaging in abusive behaviour.

The 27 year-old attacked his first victim while she was asleep at a house in his hometown of Barrhead, Renfrewshire, in late 2019, and then repeatedly abused the second victim between 2019 and 2022.

Almarjeh also took or recorded what was described as a "sexual image" of his first victim, which he showed to a man.

Almarjeh carried out a litany of abuse against his second victim, including repeatedly raping her.

His other crimes included being aggressive, calling her names, making threats and locking her out of her home.

The sex attacker also controlled her movements, who she could talk to and what she could eat or drink, as well as taking her money and bank cards from her.

The woman ended up in tears from her ordeal. Almarjeh filmed her in a state of distress and posted it online.

The crimes took place in Glasgow's southside and in Barrhead.

Lady Hood said Almarjeh had claimed to be the victim of "false allegations" by the victims and other witnesses.

The judge told him: "The impact statement [for the first woman] has spoken of how your actions affected her health and her ability to work and enjoy life as she did before.

"The second woman described your behaviour in detail. It included you posting footage of her in a distressed state on social media - something which had a destructive impact on her.

"Her mother also spoke of the dramatic change that she saw in her daughter."

Almarjeh was put on the sex offenders list and the judge imposed non-harassment orders banning the attacker from approaching or contacting the women - both for an indefinite period.