Scott Howarth, 35, has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison after being convicted of raping two women and attacking a third victim in a series of offences spanning 13 years across Fife and Aberdeen. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Lord Braid handed down the sentence after finding the attacks took place against a backdrop of violence, threats and drug misuse.
Howarth, previously of Kirkcaldy, first targeted a woman in 2011, subjecting her to repeated assaults in Leven, Burntisland and Kirkcaldy. According to a report from a Scottish broadcaster, this campaign of abuse against his first victim is understood to have continued for around five years from 2011.
What did the court hear about the more recent attacks?
The court was told that in March 2024, Howarth attacked a second woman in Leven, kicking and pushing her during the assault. The following month, he attacked a third woman shortly after meeting her at a house in Aberdeen, where he kicked her on the head before raping her and then carrying out a life-endangering assault in which he struck her on the head and throttled her.
How was Howarth convicted, and what exactly was he found guilty of?
Howarth denied the charges throughout an earlier trial but was ultimately convicted on five counts. The source material presented in court described the convictions as two counts of rape, two of assault and one of assault to the danger of life. However, the same broadcaster's coverage described the breakdown differently, reporting two rapes alongside three separate assault convictions rather than the two-assault, one-danger-to-life split.
What did the judge and defence say?
Lord Braid imposed a sentence of 13 years and three months, to be followed by a further three years of supervision on licence, during which Howarth could be returned to custody if he breaches the conditions imposed on him. Separately, according to the broadcaster's reporting, the trial judge indicated that Howarth was already a prisoner at the time of sentencing and that a custodial sentence was therefore unavoidable.
Defence solicitor advocate Gordon Martin KC told the court that Howarth continued to dispute the sexual elements of the offences for which he was convicted. Martin said Howarth's prior criminal record was largely:
reflective of somebody who has a substance misuse problem
Lord Braid also imposed non-harassment orders barring Howarth from contacting or attempting to contact either of the women he assaulted, and placed him on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
How does this case compare with other recent Scottish sentencing decisions?
The case follows a number of other lengthy sentences handed down in Scottish courts for similar offences in recent months. In one case, Dariusz Matejewicz was jailed for 18 years for raping four women and assaulting a baby over a 15-year period. In another, David MacDonald received a 12-year sentence for raping and attempting to murder his partner following more than a decade of abuse.
What happens next?
According to the broadcaster's reporting, sentencing in the case was deferred on an earlier occasion so that a background report on Howarth could be prepared, with the final sentence only imposed at a later hearing. Howarth will now serve his custodial term followed by the three-year supervision period, remaining on the sex offenders register indefinitely and subject to the non-harassment orders protecting his victims.
Key Facts
- Scott Howarth, 35, formerly of Kirkcaldy, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh.
- He was jailed for 13 years and three months, plus three years of post-release supervision.
- Offences against his first victim began in 2011 and, according to one report, spanned around five years.
- A second and third victim were attacked in Leven and Aberdeen respectively in March and April 2024.
- He was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and made subject to non-harassment orders.
