Shetland sex attacker Jack Johnson jailed for six years
- Published
Johnson was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh
A man who carried out sex attacks on two women in Shetland has been jailed for six years.
Jack Johnson, 32, raped one of the women in Lerwick in 2021 and sexually assaulted another in 2017.
He was found guilty after a trial in October last year, when he denied any wrongdoing.
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, it emerged that he now accepts his guilt and "he beats himself up about it".
Defence solicitor advocate Brian Gilfedder said: "The accused now accepts his guilt in relation to the charge which is quite unusual.
"He wants to apologise to the complainer because she had to give evidence."
At an earlier hearing the court heard that he raped one woman after she had been drinking, smoking cannabis and taking cocaine.
It left her feeling sick and unstable on her feet. The court was told she was unable to give consent.
"My eyes were closed and I felt like I couldn't open them," she said.
She said felt like she could not move and Johnson began assaulting her.
Distressed state
The court heard that the woman felt she was not able to do anything, but just wanted it to stop.
In his closing speech, prosecutor Derick Nelson told jurors: "Her head was slumped forwards and her eyes were closed and that would have been obvious to him."
The woman later sent messages to her attacker telling him he had raped her. She called a friend early in the morning and told her Johnson had raped her.
The victim was found on a couch cradling herself and crying in a distressed state.
Johnson, formerly of Cramlington, Northumberland, was also convicted of assaulting another woman in 2017 after pinning her down.
He admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the woman after shouting and swearing.
Johnson was acquitted of two further rape charges after the jury returned majority not proven verdicts on them.
He attended the sentencing hearing via a video link from prison.
He could be seen crying and holding his head in his hands as Mr Gilfedder gave his mitigation.
Mr Gilfedder told the court that Johnson wanted to be rehabilitated in prison and would take courses to fully understand why his behaviour was wrong.
"He wants to get out a wiser man," Mr Gilfedder said.
Lord Lake jailed Johnson for six years and placed him on the sex offenders register for life.