Inverness man admits three charges of rape along with charges of domestic abuse and serious assault at High Court
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A judge has called for a risk assessment of a man before sentencing him for a 15-year-long series of violent, physical and sexual attacks.
Lord Mulholland ordered a background report on Sean Hartley (34) who also had a number of previous convictions for assaults on women, adding the assessment will be included to help establish what risk he poses to women in the community.
But he also warned Hartley: “Don’t be mistaken. These are very serious matters and you will receive a very lengthy period of imprisonment.”
Sentence was deferred to the High Court in Aberdeen on March 11.
Hartley originally faced a total of 26 charges at the High Court in Inverness but pleaded guilty to seven, including three of rape, three of serious assaults over lengthy periods and one of a course of domestic abuse.
Advocate depute Lisa Gillespie QC told the court that all the women “describe the accused as controlling, jealous, suspicious and quick to anger.”
Originally from Forres, the prosecutor told how Hartley “flew into a rage” and repeatedly punched and slapped his first victim in various places in Elgin, Forres and Nairn between February 2004 and December 2005, leaving her covered in bruises, with black eyes, a bleeding ear and cut lip.
The assaults included pushing her and seizing her by the hair, holding a pillow over her head, throwing objects at her, repeatedly kicking her on the body and spitting on her, all to her injury.
Ms Gillespie then went on to tell how Hartley raped a woman in a house in Forres in July 2005 and, on various occasions between June 2008 and November 2009 at a house in Burghead, he repeatedly punched and slapped a woman’s head and broke jewellery from around her neck.
The fourth charge told of how on various occasions between February 2010 and August 2014 – at properties in Inverness, Culloden and a house in Forres, he repeatedly slapped and punched a woman on the head and body, compressed her neck and restricted her breathing, threw a cup of coffee at her and spat on her.
During that time, he also sexually assaulted and raped a woman, while restricting her breathing.
In July 2017, at a house in Forres, he raped another woman and between April 2014 and December 2019, at properties in Thurso, Forres, and Inverness including in a children’s play park, he subjected a woman to a course of domestic abuse.
This involved threatening to kill her, calling her derogatory names, compressing her neck and restricting her breathing as well as striking her on the head and body.
That charge also detailed how Hartley threw coffee at her and then the cup, spat on her, isolated her from her family and friends by deleting her mobile phone contacts and controlled her access to social media.
He also chose her clothing, regulated and monitored her activities and had her send him pictures of her whereabouts.
Defence counsel Brian McConnachie reserved his comments until the hearing for sentencing next month.
