A JUDGE responsible for a sentencing a rapist who spent 25 years preying on seven defenceless victims imposed an “unduly lenient” sentence on the offender, a court heard. 

Prosecutor Paul Harvey told appeal judges on Wednesday that judge John McCormack made errors when he handed an eight year term on Robert McGeachy. 

The 63-year-old was given the sentence in June 2024 following proceedings at the High Court in Glasgow. 

McGeachy, of Cardonald, Glasgow, was convicted of 17 charges which detailed how he preyed on complainers between 1978 and 2003 at addresses in his home city. 

However, Crown lawyers believe that judge McCormack should have given a longer sentence to McGeachy. 

Mr Harvey told judges Lord Doherty, Lord Matthews and Lord Armstrong that their colleague failed to properly consider the impact and gravity of McGeachy’s crimes had on his victim. 

Mr Harvey said: “The judge did not properly assess the harm that the appellant’s offending had on the complainers. 

“I say that the sentence was unduly lenient and I say it was unduly lenient because he did not take a structured approach to sentencing.”

The court heard that during McGeachy’s campaign of abuse, he raped a teenager and a woman. 

The first victim was a young child who McGeachy, of the city's Cardonald, sexually abused.

He then preyed on another youngster before raping a teenager.

One attack saw McGeachy force a cloth into her mouth and tie her hands behind her back.

McGeachy later raped a woman and also pressed a knife to her throat.

He went on to be repeatedly violent to another woman which saw her choked, headbutted and a finger gouged into her eye.

McGeachy also punched her, bit her ear and held her over a bath.

A young child was then belted with a slipper, punched and hit on the head.

He finally slapped another child on their body as well as hit them with a slipper.

Passing sentence, judge McCormick said he had listened to "compelling evidence" given by those who had suffered at McGeachy's hands.

He added: "The charges represent a catalogue of sexual and violent offending."

McGeachy was also put on the sex offenders register for life.

On Wednesday, defence advocate Donald Findlay KC spoke after Mr Harvey addressed the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh. 

He said that judge McCormack acted correctly and that the judges should not increase the sentence given to his client. 

Mr Findlay added: “My primary submission is that your lordships should reject the Crown appeal.”

Lord Doherty told the lawyers that he and his colleagues wanted time to consider their decision. 

He added: “We issue our decision in writing.”