Man who raped 84-year-old Fife woman jailed for 11 years

Kyle McKenzie broke into the woman's house through a bedroom window

A 23-year-old man who raped an elderly disabled widow after breaking into her home armed with a garden tool has been jailed for 11 years.

Kyle McKenzie continued to attack the woman despite the 84-year-old pleading: "You are going to kill me."

McKenzie wore a balaclava and rubber gloves when he broke into the house in Glenrothes, Fife, on 25 June 2020.

He fled after the woman managed to access her community alarm to summon help.

Judge Lord Boyd of Duncansby told McKenzie it was clear that the attack was planned.

He added: "You subjected this woman to a sustained, violent and degrading sexual assault in the course of which you raped her.

"It is difficult to put into words the revulsion that all right-thinking people will have for your conduct that night."

Fought back

The High Court in Edinburgh had heard how the woman had gone to bed after leaving a bedroom window open by an inch but woke up at 05:00 as the covers were being pulled from her.

Lord Boyd told McKenzie, who had pleaded guilty to the rape: "The complainer fought back. Because she would not comply with your instructions, you hit and punched round the head and body. You caused her breathing problems.

"Through all of this she had the presence of mind to ask you to move her back onto the bed because she knew if you did that she would be able to reach across and activate the community alarm.

"Not unnaturally, this woman wonders what might have happened had she not activated the alarm."

After sentencing, Police Scotland's senior investigating officer DI Darren Stewart described McKenzie as "clearly a very dangerous, opportunistic individual".

DI Stewart added: ""He carried out a particularly brutal attack on a vulnerable woman, submitting her to a harrowing ordeal in the one place in the world she should have been safest, her own home.

"He showed no contrition for his reprehensible behaviour when he was charged. However, he will now face the consequences of his actions having admitted his guilt."