Brighton Rapist Andrew Mellis, 58, of Tarner Road, Brighton, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on March 6 after being unanimously convicted in July of four counts of rape.
The initial three crimes were revealed subsequent to an inquiry into an assault. During the investigation, an additional woman emerged to report another offence.
The two ladies presented victim impact statements to the court, outlining the repercussions and enduring impacts of Andrew Mellis’s actions on their lives over the years.
HHJ Christine Laing said that the crimes he had inflicted on his victims were ‘brutal’ and that he should feel shame at the way he had abused them. She deemed him ‘a dangerous man’ and in sentencing him to 14 years and ordered a further four years on licence in the light of the threat that he posed. He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Detective Constable Stewart Cameron, from Sussex Police’s Brighton safeguarding unit, said: “Both of these women have shown huge amounts of coverage in coming forward and providing accounts of the harrowing abuse they suffered at the hands of Andrew Mellis.
“Andrew Mellis has shown no remorse for what he did to them, subjecting them to the ordeal of having to stand in court to go through what happened to them all over again.
“This required enormous strength and bravery and it is thanks to them that justice has finally caught up with this evil man. I appreciate that this is something that will stay with them forever, but I hope that the verdict and the sentence will go some way to helping them rebuild their lives.
“The case also demonstrates that it’s never too late to report offences of this nature. We will take reports very seriously, no matter how long ago they occurred, and your report will be handled sensitively and compassionately.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.