A former care worker has been jailed for eight years for sexually assaulting two vulnerable women, with a judge describing his actions as a calculated abuse of trust that exploited the very people he was paid to protect.
Robert Wilson, 53, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh after being convicted on 29 April of a string of offences against women who were unable to defend themselves. Lady Ross, who presided over the sentencing, imposed an extended sentence of 11 years — comprising an eight-year custodial term and a three-year extension period to be served in the community.
The court heard that Wilson used his position as a carer to groom and isolate his victims, crossing professional boundaries repeatedly to gain control. Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said the evidence showed “a clear pattern in how he targeted them”. She added: “He used trust to gain control. He used access to create opportunities. He used his position of power to sexually exploit women who could not stop him.”
Calculated exploitation of the vulnerable
The first victim was Yvonne Carnie, 68, a resident at The Abbey care home in North Berwick, East Lothian — a council-run facility that has since closed. Ms Carnie had dementia and progressive supranuclear palsy, a brain disorder that severely affected her mobility, and required round-the-clock care. Between August 2022 and February 2023, Wilson assaulted her on multiple occasions. He was convicted of sexual assault — including kissing her and touching her breasts and vagina — though he was found not guilty of rape in relation to Ms Carnie.
Prosecutors argued that Wilson deliberately targeted Ms Carnie because of her vulnerability, using the intimacy of personal care to create opportunities for abuse. The court was told he would isolate her from other residents and staff, ensuring no one witnessed his actions.
Ms Carnie died in 2025 before she could see her attacker brought to justice. Her family later said that Wilson had “stolen the dignity from her final years” and described his behaviour as “calculated, predatory disregard” made worse by his “lack of remorse and sickening denial”.
A pattern of predatory behaviour
The second victim was a vulnerable 38-year-old woman whom Wilson raped in Tranent, East Lothian, in 2013. According to the charge, Wilson assaulted the woman while she was asleep and incapable of consenting, and continued after she awoke. Lady Ross described the rape of the younger woman as “a very serious matter”.
Wilson’s history of offending extends far beyond these two cases. Court records show he was convicted of rape in Tranent in 2013 — the same offence for which he was jailed this week — and has a string of convictions in the United States. In Pennsylvania, he was sentenced to 9–23 months for criminal attempt‑theft by deception in 2009, and also pleaded guilty to wire fraud. In Mississippi, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as a habitual offender in 2016, receiving a 10‑year sentence. In Massachusetts, he was convicted of armed robbery and second‑degree murder in 1977 in connection with the Tewksbury murders. In New York, he was sentenced to 37 years in prison in November 2022 for racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy and a firearms offence, including involvement in a murder in January 2019.
Police Scotland Detective Constable Emma Maurer said the case exposed “an appalling breach of trust”. She added: “Those in care are among the most vulnerable members of our community, and have the right to feel safe, respected and protected.”
Victim impact: ‘Her voice was finally heard’
Following the sentencing, Ms Carnie’s family issued a statement through law firm Digby Brown. They praised their mother’s courage in reporting the abuse, saying it “became key to stopping the abuse”. The statement continued: “While we carry the bitter weight of what she endured and the dignity stolen from her final years, we are proud of her courage. This case has exposed what happens when a predator uses their position to groom and isolate a vulnerable person. Our family will have our time to address the systemic failures that allowed this to happen.”
The family also expressed anger at the “lack of support offered by the organisation responsible for her care”. Digby Brown is now investigating East Lothian Council to determine whether failures at The Abbey care home enabled the abuse to occur.
Faye Cook welcomed the conviction, saying: “Scotland’s prosecutors will continue to pursue those who abuse women and to support those affected throughout the prosecution process.” Detective Constable Maurer urged any victim of physical or sexual abuse to report it, regardless of when it happened, and assured that specially trained officers and partner agencies would provide support.
The case has also drawn attention to the wider issue of abuse in care settings. Research indicates that between 5 and 9 per cent of older people in Scotland suffer abuse, with 15 per cent of that abuse occurring in care homes. A 2018 Care Inspectorate report highlighted that services working with looked‑after children needed to ensure staff were familiar with child sexual exploitation, while a 2019 study found that 90 per cent of children entering care in Scotland at age five or under had experienced significant abuse and neglect beforehand.
