Craig Strachan, who went by the stage name ‘Craig Saint,’ was found guilty of r*ping a woman while she slept in a basement flat in Edinburgh in 2013, when he was 21 years old.
Now 33, Strachan was convicted by a jury at the High Court in Livingston. Despite initially pleading not guilty in July, a resurfaced 2022 YouTube video showed Strachan admitting, “I totally f***** up and r*ped a girl” while under the influence of drugs.
In an interview on the ‘I’mpossible Conversation’ YouTube channel, Strachan recalled his actions after a “spiritual awakening.” He admitted, “When I was 21, really high, and totally f**d up, I r*ped a girl. I had sex with her while she was sleeping. It lasted about 10 seconds, and as soon as it happened, I instantly knew, ‘s*, I should not have done that.’”
Prosecutors revealed that Strachan had climbed into the victim’s bed uninvited and assaulted her while she slept. When she woke, he proceeded to r*pe her. Strachan claimed he thought she was awake and consenting, but jurors deliberated for less than an hour before delivering a unanimous guilty verdict.
He was convicted of entering the bed uninvited, touching the woman’s body, and r*ping her while she was asleep and after she awoke.
During sentencing at the High Court in Stirling, Judge Fiona Tait told Strachan, appearing via video link from Saughton Prison in Edinburgh, that the crime was of “considerable gravity” and had a severe impact on the victim.
Judge Tait commended the victim for her courage in testifying, especially given the attention Strachan’s online confession had drawn.
Strachan was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and issued a non-harassment order, barring him from contacting the victim for 20 years. The judge noted that despite the crime occurring in 2013, Strachan had more recently contacted the victim, which led to the current proceedings.
During his trial, jurors reviewed Facebook messages between Strachan and the victim, including one she sent after the incident, stating, “You f*****g r*ped me.” In a police interview, Strachan admitted, “I shouldn’t have done it. Either way, she was sleeping and it was wrong.”
Strachan’s defense advocate, Alistair Sloan, acknowledged the seriousness of the offense. In the YouTube interview, Strachan claimed to have forgiven himself after “finding God” and expressed his remorse, saying, “I really hope the girl forgives me one day.”
He also referenced creating ‘The Forgiveness Movement,’ aimed at helping others confront their wrongs and seek forgiveness. However, the court found no signs of remorse from Strachan as his sentence was handed down.
