Charlie Swain, now 20, was found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh of a campaign of violent abuse against two teenage girls. The attacks included cutting one victim with a knife and pouring bleach on her wounds, leaving her permanently disfigured.
Details of the Abuse
Swain abused one teenage victim between July 2023 and October 2024. He held a knife against her neck, cut her body, and poured bleach on her wounds. He repeatedly contacted the girl, loitered outside premises she was within, controlled her movements, and isolated her from friends and family.
On one occasion at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, he punched the teen on the neck, struck her on the face and body, and seized her by the neck. He then dragged her by the hair and pushed her on the body, all to her injury and danger to her life.
Further Attacks
At a hotel in Glasgow, Swain pursued the teen, masturbated in her presence, and took a sum of money from her without consent, reports Edinburgh Live. He also pushed her, causing her to fall down a flight of stairs, and slapped her on the face. Swain's violence was persistent as he pushed the same victim on the body, causing her to hang out a window.
On January 21, 2024, at an address in Edinburgh, Swain assaulted the same victim by forcing her to the ground, straddling her, seizing her wrists, and attempting to apply handcuffs. He applied a handcuff to one of her wrists and repeatedly struck her on the body with a belt. During the same incident, he held a knife against her neck, all to her injury and danger of life.
Second Victim and Sentencing
Court papers detailed how Swain targeted another teenage female victim between April 2020, when he was aged just 15, and October 2022, at addresses in Edinburgh. During this time he spat at and kicked her on the head, neck, and body, as well as pressed his fingers into her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
On one occasion at Sighthill Park, Swain shouted at the teen, kicked and punched trees, pushed her on the body, and kicked her leg, causing her to fall. On several occasions, Swain demanded the girl have sexual intercourse with him, penetrated her vagina with his penis without consent, and touched her and penetrated her while she was asleep and incapable of giving consent. At the city's St James Quarter, during consensual intercourse, Swain recorded the teen on his phone without consent.
Swain was convicted of two counts of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour and also assault to injury and danger of life during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, having denied all charges. He was subsequently acquitted of further offences. Sentencing on Swain, of Carrick Knowe, was deferred for reports, and he was remanded in custody.
