Rapist care worker subjected woman with brain disorder to 'profound suffering'

A family has said their vulnerable mother was subjected to "profound suffering" at the hands of a rapist care worker who repeatedly sexually assaulted her while she was living in a residential home.

Robert Wilson, 53, has been found guilty of attacking Yvonne Carnie between August 2022 and February 2023 at the home in North Berwick, East Lothian.

Yvonne was receiving care as she had a progressive brain disorder which affected her mobility. Her family said she died age 70, before the case concluded and "without ever feeling truly safe again".

Wilson was also convicted of raping another woman in Tranent in 2013. He will be sentenced in June.

Releasing a statement through their lawyers, Yvonne's family said she was a "beautiful, kind and caring woman who deserved to feel protected".

"Instead, she was stripped of her basic decency and her voice," the family said.

"We can at least take solace in knowing that we have honoured our mother's memory by ensuring that the perpetrator of these heinous crimes will never be able to inflict them on any person again.

"The pain of watching our otherwise sociable and happy mum struggle to cope, and the lack of support offered by the organisation responsible for her care, has left us all with a deep sense of anger and injustice."

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Yvonne was receiving round-the-clock care for a rare condition called progressive supranuclear palsy.

It is caused by a build up of protein in the brain and can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.

Over the course of seven months, Wilson subjected Yvonne to attacks including kissing her and touching her body.

Wilson was also accused of raping Yvonne while she was asleep, and continuing the attack after she woke, but was found not guilty of this charge.

During the trial jurors were shown footage of specially-trained police officers interviewing Yvonne, who said she had dementia.

She said she knew they were going to talk about "the bad man", who she called Robert.

Speaking about one incident, she said: "It made me feel dirty."

Wilson told the court that he knew it would be wrong for him as a carer to have sex with a resident at the home and added: "But that never happened."

Judge Lady Ross told him the rape of the other woman was "a very serious matter".

Speaking about Yvonne, the judge told Wilson: "She was somebody for whom you were supposed to care and that is something that means that what you have done is a bad thing indeed."

"You must understand these are things I have to take extremely seriously."

The judge deferred sentence on Wilson for the preparation of a background report on him and he was remanded in custody.

He was placed on the sex offenders register and his conviction will be reported to Scottish ministers under protection of vulnerable groups legislation.