Rapist dragged woman, 15, from bus cease in assault described as ‘stuff of nightmares’
Aaron Strachan, 21, stalked, abducted and raped a teenager who was waiting at a bus stop – he dragged her into a basement and barricaded the door while brandishing a knife
A man has been warned he may never be freed from prison following the “bestial” rape of a 15-year-old girl. Aaron Strachan, 21, stalked, abducted and raped the teenager in the York Place area of Edinburgh on May 25 last year.
On the same day, he also stabbed a man in an “unprovoked” attack in the South Bridge area and assaulted another man with a hammer in High Riggs on 28 May. Strachan was due to be sentenced earlier this year but managed to escape while being escorted from the Court of Session to a prison van after a hearing in January.
A significant police search was initiated and he was recaptured in the city a few hours later. The 21-year-old admitted to the rape and two assaults on 4 December 2025, and on Monday pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Rapist Aaron Strachan(Image: Police Scotland)
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, Judge Michael O’Grady KC imposed an order for lifelong restriction on Strachan with a minimum term of five years in custody, warning him he may never be released.
Strachan first approached the 15-year-old girl as she waited at a bus stop in Edinburgh city centre in the early hours of 25 May.
Feeling uneasy, she walked away towards Princes Street, and Strachan was captured on CCTV following her, his face concealed by a balaclava.
He then sprinted towards the girl as she sat at a second bus stop, threatening to harm her while brandishing a knife.
After grabbing her by the shoulders he forcibly dragged her to the basement on York Place, where he barricaded the door with wooden pallets before raping her.
Aaron Strachan stalking his victim on Rose Street.(Image: CPFS)
Judge O’Grady told Strachan his actions were “the stuff of nightmares for every woman and every young girl, and every parent who waits at home for their child to return home safely”.
“The word predatory is perhaps overused in these courts, but it is an inescapable adjective to describe this truly bestial crime,” he said.
“You left your lair and went out hunting for a vulnerable victim.
“Finding one, you stalked her, threatened her at knifepoint and took her to a dingy basement and raped her.”
Describing the other two attacks, he told Strachan they had been “unprovoked” and carried out on “virtual strangers”.
He said the attack on May 25 – the same day as the rape – had left his victim with two knife wounds to his right hand.
Aaron Strachan walking out of a court hearing.(Image: CPFS)
In the later attack, the judge told Strachan he had struck his victim on the head with a metal hammer, leaving him “semi-conscious” on the ground and suffering seizures.
The man was later found to have suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, with the judge saying the consequences of the attack for the man had been “catastrophic”.
The judge also outlined Strachan’s “concerning” criminal record, telling him he had appeared in court on 18 previous occasions in relation to 38 separate charges, eight of which involved possession of weapons.
The judge informed Strachan he was “entirely satisfied” he met the requirements for a lifelong restriction order – an indefinite sentence that means an offender isn’t released until considered to no longer be a threat to the public.
The judge told him: “You are likely to remain in prison for many years, if indeed you are ever released.”
Aaron Strachan escapes.(Image: CPFS)
Strachan, who stayed handcuffed to security officers throughout the hearing, showed no response as the sentence was delivered.
Earlier, Strachan’s solicitor Simon Collins informed the court his client’s actions were “extremely serious offences”.
“I accept that, and Aaron Strachan accepts that,” Mr Collins told the court.
“The inevitable outcome of the offences of this seriousness is that he is facing an extremely lengthy period in custody.”
The court was also shown CCTV footage of the moment Strachan slipped his cuffs and bolted while being escorted from the Court of Session to a waiting prison van.
Aaron Strachan runs along Fredrick St.(Image: CPFS)
The footage displays Strachan, attired in a red top, walking between two guards towards the van, before “yanking” his hand free and dashing off in the direction of the Royal Mile.
Mr Collins informed the court it had been “a moment of impulsiveness” on Strachan’s part, stating his client had noticed the handcuffs linking him to a security guard were “not tight enough to prevent him from removing his hand”.
Faye Cook, procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offences, stated: “Aaron Strachan’s actions in abducting his victim before raping her were calculated, predatory and caused profound harm.
“Although this type of stranger offending is rare, this conviction reflects the gravity of his crimes and the commitment of prosecutors and police to bring him to justice.
“Sexual violence and the use of weapons to intimidate and harm have no place in our society.
“We will continue to take action against perpetrators while supporting victims throughout the prosecution process.”
