Former River City actor Iain Robertson showed no reaction as he was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping a woman and assaulting two others over a 15-year period. The 45-year-old, who played Stevie O'Hara in the BBC soap, was convicted of five offences including domestic abuse, with crimes spanning from 2004 to 2019. During his trial at the High Court in Glasgow, witnesses described Robertson as “violent” and “controlling”.
Sentencing him at Edinburgh High Court, Lady Drummond said Robertson’s behaviour had a “long lasting and life-changing” impact on his victims, who now suffer from anxiety, fear, flashbacks, and problems with trust and a sense of safety. The judge handed down nine years in prison, plus an additional three-year supervision period, and ordered Robertson to be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely. Indefinite non-harassment orders were also imposed.
“Former River City actor Iain Robertson jailed for nine years for raping a woman and assaulting two others.”
The rape charge centred on an incident between 2018 and 2019, when Robertson raped a woman he knew from working together on River City. The woman said she had made clear she did not want anything sexual, but Robertson told her she could join him in bed as “nothing would happen”. Instead, she told the court, he “had sex” with her while she went “limp”. She did not participate and did not want it to happen. Robertson was also found guilty of a separate sexual assault on the same woman and of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour against her.
Prosecutors presented evidence of another sexual incident involving a second woman to corroborate the rape charge, but jurors did not have to deliver a verdict on that. However, Robertson was convicted of assaulting her by pouring wine over her head and her university coursework during an incident in the Lake District in September 2007. The third victim, a fellow actor, described how Robertson hounded her with an “obsessive” number of calls and voicemails, and sent gifts to theatres where she was performing. He was found guilty of threatening and abusive behaviour towards her.
During the trial, Robertson said he was “no angel” but denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was “sensitive” enough to know when a woman is consenting. The jury disagreed, finding him guilty of all charges. Appearing via video link from Barlinnie prison dressed in a blue top, Robertson showed no emotion as the sentence was read out. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service praised the women who spoke out. “It is through their testimony that Robertson was brought to justice,” said Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook. Robertson held a high-profile position through his career, but in private he assaulted and abused.