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Victim recounts harrowing ordeal after brief encounter with convicted predator
A Scottish woman has revealed how a 20-minute date with serial fraudster and rapist Christopher Harkins spiraled into years of death threats, verbal abuse, and psychological torment, leaving her suicidal. Nadia, now 34, spoke publicly for the first time in a BBC Disclosure podcast investigation, detailing how her rejection of Harkins in 2018 triggered a relentless campaign of harassment-one that police initially dismissed despite her pleas for help.
The date that turned sinister
Nadia, a sports massage therapist, matched with Harkins on Tinder in 2018 after weeks of messaging. Their in-person meeting in Glasgow quickly unraveled when she arrived at his Cumbernauld flat. Harkins, then 31, greeted her in jogging pants and a vest, claiming exhaustion and suggesting they order takeaway instead of dining out. Inside, Nadia found a nearly empty apartment-no furniture except a television perched on boxes.
Tensions escalated when she declined his offer of vodka and poured herself a Diet Coke. "He looked at me like, 'Who do you think you are?'" she recalled. After accidentally spilling her drink, Harkins berated her as "clumsy" and disrespectful, his demeanor shifting to aggression. "I thought, 'Are you for real?'" Nadia said. "It was laminate flooring." She left abruptly, but the ordeal had only begun.
Relentless threats and police inaction
Within minutes of her departure, Harkins bombarded Nadia with messages, including: "How dare someone like you have the audacity to leave a date with me?" Over the next hours, he threatened to petrol-bomb her home, kill her, and assault her father. He also hurled insults about her appearance-calling her a "fat cow," a "pig," and a "catfish"-despite knowing she had recently lost weight and regained confidence through fitness.
"I cried so much I got a headache," Nadia said. "At 6 a.m., he was still sending abuse." The next day, she reported the threats to Police Scotland, even providing a recording of Harkins vowing to attack her father. Officers told her no action could be taken unless he acted on the threats. "Nobody took a statement," she said. "I was screaming, 'You don't know what he's capable of!'"
"If they'd done something then, a lot of things could have been prevented for the girls who came after me."
Nadia, victim of Christopher Harkins
A pattern of ignored warnings
The BBC Disclosure investigation found that Nadia was one of at least 11 women who tried to report Harkins to Police Scotland as early as 2012. Allegations included physical attacks, fraud, and threats-yet no investigation was launched until late 2019. Police Scotland admitted the reports were treated "in isolation," primarily as financial disputes, and expressed hope such failures "wouldn't be replicated now."
Harkins' crimes spanned nearly a decade, targeting women in Scotland and London. His arrest only came after a 2019 media exposé by a victim he'd scammed out of £3,247 for a fake holiday. That story prompted police to re-examine historical reports, including Nadia's. By then, Harkins had raped at least one woman-just two months after his encounter with Nadia. "That lassie could have been totally saved," she said. "Vile. Disgusting."
The aftermath: conviction and unanswered questions
Harkins, now 38, was jailed in 2024 for 12 years after pleading guilty to 19 offenses against 10 women, including rape, physical violence, and fraud totaling over £214,000. As part of a plea deal, charges related to Nadia's threats were dropped, though he admitted to identity theft and financial scams. The BBC uncovered additional alleged frauds totaling nearly £70,000, with at least 30 women targeted.
DCI Lyndsay Laird of Police Scotland acknowledged the force's delayed response, citing fragmented reports across divisions and a focus on financial complaints treated as civil matters. "Policing has evolved massively since then," she said, stopping short of apologizing to victims. Nadia remains critical: "They should apologize. They could have stopped him."
Rebuilding-and a warning to others
Nadia, now a mother of two, has rebuilt her confidence but carries lasting scars. "If I didn't have my daughter, I would have ended my life," she admitted. Today, she speaks out to urge others to heed red flags: "I'm not afraid to speak up now. I will never ignore a warning again."
Support resources are available via the BBC Action Line for those affected by abuse or fraud.
