"Extremely dangerous" rapist who tried to murder woman in Banff and Aberdeen jailed for 13 years
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A VIOLENT sex offender who repeatedly raped a woman and twice tried to murder her at addresses in Aberdeen and Banff was jailed for 13 years on Friday (September, 29).
Jahmarley Michaud carried out the attacks on his victim when he was still a teenager and went on to abuse a second woman who he threatened to kill.
Michaud, now aged 21, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh after being found guilty of seven offences including rape, attempted murder, assault with intent to rape, assault and abusive conduct.
The court heard that the 21-year-old carried out the attacks between July 2019 and August last year. Michaud's first victim was subjected to prolonged abuse when she was punched, kicked, dragged and threatened by him at addresses in Aberdeen and Banff.
He also subjected her to repeated sex attacks and tried to murder her on two separate occasions in 2020, firstly by pinning her down and putting a duvet over her head and smothering her and then by placing an arm around her neck and throttling her.
Michaud had claimed that the sex was consensual and denied assaulting her, but said there had been play fighting.
He then went on to subject a second victim, a 34-year-old woman in Aberdeen to further abuse, he locked in her home and threatened to kill her. He also punched the woman on the head and throttled her and issued threats to harm her while he had a pan of hot cooking oil last year.
A judge told Michaud, at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had carried out a "campaign of abusive cruelty".
Lord Lake said it seemed to him from the evidence that he heard and a background report prepared on him that Michaud was "a very dangerous person".
He said that the actions of Michaud towards his victims were "callous in the extreme".
Defence counsel David Moggach said Michaud has continued to maintain his innocence. Michaud who was brought up in the Caribbean, came to the UK as a teenager and moved to Aberdeen to live with a relative.
The defence counsel said that Michaud was aged 17 to 20 when the offences were committed and was still a young man who was "hopefully capable of rehabilitation".
Michaud was also placed on the sex offenders' register.
The judge ordered that Michaud should also be subject to a further two years supervision when he will be under licence and can be returned to prison if he breaches its conditions.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Knight said: "Michaud is an extremely dangerous individual who subjected his victims to horrific levels of sexual abuse and violence.
"His abhorrent behaviour has had a profound impact on the lives of the women involved and I hope today’s verdict will allow them some form of closure and enable them to move forward in their lives.
"Police Scotland is committed to ensuring perpetrators of sexual and physical crimes are brought to account for their actions, and we will work with our partners in justice and third sector organisations to investigate crimes and support victims involved."
