Man jailed over pensioner rape attempt in Kirkcaldy
A 39-year-old man who forced his way into a pensioner's home with the intention of raping her has been jailed for seven years.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Simon Johnston subjected the 71-year-old woman to a violent ordeal which lasted for several hours.
The attack happened at a property in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in June 2015.
Judge Lady Stacey told Johnston she considered him to be a "very serious risk to public safety".
The court heard that Johnston, from Kirkcaldy, had grabbed the woman by the hair and forced her from her kitchen to a bedroom.
He was convicted of assault with intent to rape at the High Court in Edinburgh last month.
Last month, the court heard from Johnston's victim how he had ordered her to shut the windows and instructed her to be quiet.
He ignored her pleas for him to stop and threatened to kill her before restricting her breathing by placing a pillow over her mouth.
He then took a knife from the woman's kitchen, held it to her and told her he wanted sex.
The court was told that the pensioner suffered 28 injuries - and medical experts concluded that the nature of the injuries suggested she had been assaulted.
Johnston was arrested when he contacted the police after reading a story about the attack on the BBC Scotland news website.
The description of a man police were seeking in connection with the attack matched Johnston.
Celtic knife claim
He got in touch with police and claimed the woman was lying.
Giving evidence, he said: "I was disgusted at what I read. The description matched me with regards to everything - right to the jeans I was wearing and I was upset because it wasn't true."
He admitted touching a knife in the woman's house but said it was because the blade was green.
"Being a Celtic fan, I just like the colour green," he said. "It was an accidental touch."
Lady Stacey ordered Johnston to be placed under supervision by the authorities for two years following his release from custody and he was put on the sex offenders register for life.