Falkirk man who raped women as stab victim lay dead is jailed

Steven Mathieson and the crime scene in Springfield Drive

A man who murdered a 23-year-old woman before raping two others at his Falkirk home has been jailed for life.

Steven Mathieson stabbed escort Luciana Maurer a total of 44 times, before abducting and raping two other women on 4 December last year.

The 38-year-old admitted rape and murder charges at the High Court.

Sentencing him to at least 22 years in prison, a judge told Mathieson his crimes were "truly dreadful" and "wholly depraved".

Mathieson summoned police after the two women he had abducted, aged 22 and 26, escaped naked from the Springfield Drive house. He told the 999 operator: "I've been high on drugs and I've killed a prostitute."

The court earlier heard how the car salesman had spent a normal day with his family, going out for a meal with his children while his partner of 10 years went on a night out.

However, after dropping off one of his children at a grandparent's house and putting his younger son to bed, Mathieson telephoned for an escort to come to the house.

Mathieson, who was high on cocaine, stabbed Romanian-born Luciana Maurer to death before texting the word "sorry" to his partner.

Mathieson admitted stabbing Ms Maurer, a Romanian national, a total of 44 times

He then summoned two more escorts, who found Ms Maurer's body lying on the bed in an upstairs bedroom.

Mathieson blocked the doorway and picked up two knives, forcing the women to strip naked and surrender their mobile phones. He raped both of them in the bedroom and again downstairs in the living room.

He told them: "I've done this to show my wife something."

However, when he went to the window, thinking his partner had returned, his victims ran for the door and managed to escape, despite Mathieson striking one of them on the leg with a knife.

Officers attended and found him on his knees in the living room, holding his hands out to be arrested.

'Extraordinary case'

Prior to sentencing, defence advocate Donald Findlay QC told the High Court in Livingston that Mathieson was a "slightly boring man" with a "slightly boring life", who was "not in his right mind" due to his use of cocaine.

Mr Findlay said: "Sending for three prostitutes to come to his home while his young son is asleep in a bedroom and his wife could come home at any time is an insane thing to do.

"He booked one and then for good measure he booked two more and that in my submission reinforces the whole madness of this episode.

"I think it's fair to say that on any view this is one of the most extraordinary cases I've ever encountered."

Mathieson was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum punishment period of 22 years before he can be considered for release. His name was added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.

'Brutal and depraved'

Lord Bannatyne told him that his use of cocaine was "not mitigation" for his "terrible and senseless crimes".

He said: "This is an appalling case. The crimes you have committed are truly dreadful.

"The lives of these people have been devastated by what you did. A particularly appalling part of the attack on these women was that the initial part of it took place in the bedroom where the body of the deceased was lying.

"Your actings can only be described as wholly depraved."

Det Insp David Pinkney, of Police Scotland's major investigation team, added: "These women were subject to a brutal and depraved attack, which has been extremely traumatic for them, their families and the wider community.

"I'd like to commend the bravery of the two young women and Luciana's family throughout the investigation, and thank them for their assistance with our enquiries.

"Police Scotland welcome this sentence and although nothing can undo Mathieson's actions that night, I hope that this will give his victims and all those affected by his crimes some sense of closure.