A Darlington Rapist, Thomas English, who muffled an 18-year-old woman’s cries for him to desist has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Thomas English, a 20-year-old from Darlington, disregarded his victim’s numerous refusals of “no” during consensual intercourse.
The offence arose after Thomas English notified the police that an individual was extorting £500 from him, threatening to report him for sexual assault if he failed to comply.
Thomas English, now 24, first refuted the charge of rape but altered his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial.
The 2022 encounter commenced consensually; nonetheless, Thomas English disregarded the woman’s request to cease.
Instead, he covered her mouth with his hand and became increasingly aggressive and “forceful” until she ultimately managed to push him away, the court was informed.
Several weeks later, he received a communication from a third party demanding payment of £500 or he would be reported to the police, Ms. Brown stated.
Thomas English notified the police regarding the message, prompting officers to enquire about the purported sexual assault, which resulted in an interview with the victim.
Messages discovered on Thomas English’s phone revealed that he asserted he had “got lost in the moment” and failed to hear the woman, to which she responded that this was absurd and that she had instructed him to stop four times.
Thomas English expressed that he had been “worried sick” ever since, and when he gazed into the mirror, all he could perceive was a rapist, as that was his action towards the woman, the court was informed.
Additionally, there was a message in which Thomas English expressed that he “felt dreadful” and “could not have been more contrite”.
In a statement presented to the court, the woman asserted that the rape had irrevocably “tainted” her perception of intimacy and that her subsequent teenage years had been adversely affected by English.
She expressed that she attained tranquilly in the knowledge that he could no longer inflict harm upon her or any other lady.
In mitigation, the court was informed that it was “consensual sex that escalated” and that English expressed “profound shame” for his “reprehensible” conduct.
Judge Stephen Ashurst stated that Thomas English “selfishly disregarded” the woman’s desires and affirmed that “rape is rape.”
He described Thomas English as a “intelligent young man,” although noted he was “relatively immature and naïve regarding certain emotional issues.”
The judge stated that the contrition displayed by Thomas English indicated he seemed to have learnt from his “serious error”.
Individuals must register as sex offenders for life.
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