TL;DR
- Steven Mitchell, 41, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of six sexual offences, including rape, against two women in West Lothian from 2016 to 2022.
- The court highlighted concerns about Mitchell’s refusal to acknowledge his crimes, classifying him as high risk for reoffending and placing him on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
- Authorities urge victims of sexual assault to report incidents, emphasising their commitment to supporting victims and ensuring justice.
Rapist with ‘sense of entitlement to sex’ jailed for 10 years | UK News
A rapist described as having “a sense of entitlement to sex” has been jailed for 10 years.
Steven Mitchell, 41, denied any wrongdoing but was last month found guilty of six offences, including rape and sexual assault, following a trial at the High Court in Livingston, Scotland.
The crimes were carried out against two women in West Lothian between 2016 and 2022.
At his sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Susan Craig said a criminal justice social work report described Mitchell’s sexual offending as “chronic with a sense of entitlement to sex”.
“The report also expresses concern about your refusal to acknowledge that you have committed any aspect of these offences and that you are unlikely to want to change your behaviour,” she said.
The court also heard he made threats of violence against the victims, with the report describing him as high risk of sexual reoffending.
Mitchell was handed a 13-year extended sentence – 10 years in prison and three years on licence once released back into the community.
He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Detective Sergeant Peter Baxter said: “Mitchell’s abhorrent actions have caused significant harm to his victims, and we hope this outcome brings them some degree of reassurance.
“We remain committed to investigating reports of sexual abuse and ensuring that those responsible face the consequences of their actions.
“We would encourage anyone who is a victim of sexual assault to report it. They will be treated with sensitivity and supported by specially trained officers.”