Latest Offenders

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The "predatory and manipulative" actor is facing a lengthy jail term after being convicted of 26 sex offences against women and children on Tuesday (December 10). 

The 24-year-old, of Albrighton, Shropshire, was found guilty of all charges brought against him, including raping a teenager during acting classes, following a four week trial.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how he forced pupils in his drama class to recite Shakespeare naked and also engaged in nude role-play scenarios. 

The actor  - who starred in BBC's Doctors and was an uncredited student in Netflix's Sex Education - sexually assaulted one girl over a seven-year period and also filmed budding teen actress naked on his iPad. 

Jurors were told he had been a sexual predator from a child with his criminality stretching back to when he was aged just ten. 

Through out the course of his trial, pictures began to surface from his public Instagram - featuring some of his past works and trips to premiers. But some of them hit a strikingly different tone in light of his predatory actions. 

One photo shows him posing for selfies with beloved British actor Asa Butterfield, who played a lead role in Sex Education, while Westwood appeared only in the background. 

Others showed him dressed as iconic characters popular films and TV shows - including one of him dressed like David Tennant's tenth doctor from the BBC series Doctor Who - which may have inspired the actors choice of coat for his trial. 

Another, which set a stomach-churning tone following the conviction was a snap of him dressed like the children's fairy-tale character Peter Pan, who whisks kids off to Neverland to never grow up. Westwood played the leading role in Peter Pan The Musical at Birmingham's Blue Orange Theatre back in 2018. 

Prosecutor Andrew Wallace said: "When giving acting lessons, he again used this as an opportunity to touch his pupils inappropriately. These are schoolgirls we are talking about, teenagers. Imagine asking Dame Judi Dench to recite Hamlet naked - she would tell you where to go."

Westwood sexually assaulted and raped one pupil who described how he would hold her down by the wrists, forcing her to bite him to get away. He also called the police on one of his victims whilst harassing her.

When one of the girls complained to her parents about his behaviour Westwood told her mum she owed him £18,000 due to the contract he made her sign, including a clause which said she had to pay for missed lessons. His victims watched on in horror as he continued to work on television and frequently boasted about having stars as friends on social media.

After parents reported Westwood to the police, so did the college he was teaching at, and from his first police interview he lied and blamed the victims. Mr Wallace told the court: "Alexander Westwood is a supreme manipulator. "All these charges have a common theme, of inappropriate touching and predatory behaviour."

Instead of pleading guilty to the raft of sexual abuse and rape charges the actor lied to the bitter end, forcing his victims the horrific ordeal of facing him in court.

After cross-examination by Westwood's lawyer James Bloomer KC, several of the young women giving evidence against him left the court in floods of tears. Westwood looked on from the dock, showing no emotion. He will be sentenced on February 25 next year.

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A “DANGEROUS predator” recorded himself as he sexually assaulted a woman in her own bedroom.

Anurag Sharma, 21, from Abertillery, was found guilty of rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault of his victim by a jury following a trial.

After he attacked her, the defendant fled to France in the back of a lorry when he was on bail.

He was arrested at Dover when he tried to return to the UK undetected, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

In a moving victim impact statement, the woman said that Sharma was a “dangerous predator” and described her ordeal as “horrific”.

She told him: “You no longer have power over me and I'm not your victim. I have survived.”

The offences happened last summer.

Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, said: “The victim was vulnerable and there was a degree of planning on the defendant’s part to achieve his offending.”

Dale Beeson representing Sharma asked the judge to show his client “mercy”.

His barrister said the defendant had arrived to live in the UK from India and was the son of a heart surgeon.

“This is a young man who has no previous offences and he comes from a good family background and had a good education,” Mr Beeson stated.

“He had been dating a girl for quite some time. He was very much in love with her and thought his future was going to be with her.

“Unfortunately, that lady moved to Canada for her education.”

Mr Beeson added: “Mr Sharma has ruined his life. He’s relatively resigned to that fact that he's lost his good character.

“He's going to lose his liberty, he’s lost the respect of his family and brought great shame upon them.

“His actions have brought the whole deck of cards tumbling to the ground.

“He knows that deportation will follow.”

The judge, Recorder Paul Hartley-Davies, told Sharma: “You knew she was intoxicated.

"I'm also concerned to read that you're assessed as posing a high risk of harm to the public."

He jailed the defendant for nine years and told him he would serve two-thirds of that sentence in custody before being released on licence.

Sharma will have to register as a sex offender for life

After the defendant was taken to the cells, Recorder Hartley-Davies commended the woman for her courage.

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A paedophile has been jailed for historical sexual offences he committed 30 years ago, thanks to the actions of his brave survivors. 

John Corby has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he targeted three young victims in the Newcastle area, subjecting them to appalling abuse.

The case came to light in November 2021, when one of Corby’s victims came forward to Northumbria Police.

This led officers from the Safeguarding Department to launch a comprehensive investigation.

In January 2022, Corby was interviewed and subsequently charged with two counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault, and one count of gross indecency. He denied all the charges.

After an eight-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in September, the jury found Corby guilty on all counts.

On Monday, November 18, Corby, 66, of Hallow Drive, Throckley, Newcastle, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

He was also placed under a sexual harm prevention order and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

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A HIGH-RISK sex offender from west Cumbria is back behind bars after online monitoring software alerted police to his latest spate of offending.

Jonathon Fell, 27, whose previous offending earned him a 45-month jail term in 2021, is now under the terms of a strict sexual harm prevention order designed to restrict his online activity.

But at Carlisle’s Rickergate court, Fell, who has lived in Carlisle and west Cumbria, admitted eight new offences, including two allegations of downloading indecent child images and two of possessing child abuse images.

He also pleaded guilty to four allegations of flouting his sexual harm prevention order by accessing online platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.

Prosecutor George Shelley said the indecent child images involved were classified as Category B, the second most serious kind, and Category C, of which there were eight images.

In one online conversation, said Mr Shelley, Fell spoke to a person about the age of their child, asking for the age.

His original offending, the court heard, involved sexually abusive behaviour towards babies and other very young children.

He spent days looking for victims online, on one occasion giving nine-year-old boy detailed instructions on sexually interfering with his three-year-old sibling. After that conviction, police described Fell as “manipulative.”

He had lied to both them and other agencies about his online activities, they said. All eight of Fell’s latest offences were committed in the Cockermouth area.

“This defendant is a high-risk sex offender,” said Mr Shelley.

“His previous convictions of a sexual nature involved child contact and it is reassuring that the [police] e-safe monitoring software has flagged these matters up at a very early stage.”

Fell, of Mawsons Court, Cockermouth, asked his lawyer Duncan Campbell to apply for his release on bail. The court heard Fell had 11 previous sexual offences on his record.

Mr Campbell told magistrates it was not "inevitable" that Fell would be jailed for his offending when the case goes to the crown court.

The defendant no longer had access to his digital equipment as it was seized by the police.

“He was fully aware that the e-safe monitoring equipment was on his electronic equipment and that everything was monitored,” said Mr Campbell, suggesting Fell did not hide what he was doing.

Magistrates remanded Fell in custody.

He will be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on January 14 next year. In the meantime, probation staff will prepare a background report for the sentencing judge.

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A sex offender who transported an unconscious woman from Camden to Kent to rape her has been jailed.

Seyi Odeyemi, 23, offered to take the victim home for half the price of a taxi that she was trying to book while in Camden on September 3 last year, at around 10pm.

She agreed to the proposition and got into his car, but instead of taking her home he took her to a hotel near Northfleet, Gravesend.

By the time they arrived the woman appeared semi-conscious and was able to stand, but Odeyemi had to carry and drag her to a room.

Once inside, he raped the victim.

She woke up in the morning confused and not recognising Odeyemi.

After it was reported to police, Odeyemi was arrested days later on September 7.

Police established he breached the conditions of a sexual risk order he was under at the time by failing to make the victim of the order and failing to seek consent for sexual activity.

Odeyemi, of Adams Drive, Willesborough, Ashford, was charged with rape and breaching the order.

He pleaded not guilty and was convicted with both counts on August 14 after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

On Thursday (December 4), he received an extended sentence with a total of 10 years and six months' imprisonment.

On his release he is required to complete an additional five years on licence.

He will also have a sexual harm prevention order for 20 years and will have to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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A convicted sex offender who assaulted a child in Gillingham has been handed a further prison sentence.

Ben Hanger, 34, of St Agnes Gardens, Sheerness, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday 4 December to four years in jail after he admitted sexual assault against a girl under 13 and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. He was also ordered to serve an additional five years on licence.

He abused the young girl at a property between 2016 and 2017 and the offences were reported to Kent Police in 2021.

He was arrested at HMP Elmley, where he is serving a 15-year extended sentence after he was convicted following a trial in December 2022. He was jailed after he attempted to kidnap a schoolgirl in January 2021.

This additional sentencing will be added to his total years to serve.

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A ‘dangerous’ child sex offender has been found guilty following a three-year-long investigation.

Dominic Scribbins, aged 39 from Plymouth, was found guilty by a jury of 16 offences following a seven-day trial at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 29 November. He was found guilty of the following:

• Eight counts of indecent assault
• Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• And one count each of assault by penetration, sexual assault and engaging in sexual
• activity in the presence of a child.

The court heard how between 2003 and 2019, Scribbins had sexually and indecently assaulted several young girls in the Bristol and Dorset area, who were between the ages of four and 14 at the time of the incidents.

Officers first started investigating the case in 2021 when one of the victims came forward and reported non-recent sexual assaults by Scribbins. Following this, other victims came forward to make their own reports.

Following an extensive investigation, Scribbins was arrested on 11 November 2021 and later charged on 31 May last year.

Officer in the case Detective Sergeant Lucy Bryant said: “It has been three years since the victims in this case came forward to the police and I thank them for their bravery and resilience in supporting a prosecution.

“Because of their courage, a dangerous child sex offender has been taken off the streets and, following his sentencing in January 2025, will hopefully be in prison for many years to come.

“Sexual offences against such young and vulnerable members of our society are among the most despicable. Children should be able to trust adults and know they are safe in their company, but Scribbins brought about only pain and upset for his victims.

“No matter when the abuse happened, if something has happened to you then please report it to us, you will be believed and supported. We are committed to doing whatever is needed to achieve justice for the victims, while also providing and signposting them to safeguarding and support services.”

Scribbins was found not guilty of one count of sexual assault of a children under 13.

He was remanded into custody and will appear at Bristol Crown Court for sentencing on Monday 13 January next year.

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A “lonely” young man working in the North East, well away from home, sought companionship via a social media dating and friends site for adults, a court heard.

But when Jarrod Hofmann’s post on Wink was responded to by someone claiming to be a 14-year-old girl, he made the misguided error of continuing the conversation, soon moving on to sexual matters.

Durham Crown Court was told Hofmann was unaware, however, that the person purporting to be 14-year-old “Mollie” was, in fact, a decoy profile put up by the paedophile-hunting Child Online Safety Team (COST).

Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, told the court that Hoffman, aged 21 at the time, soon suggested switching the conversation onto WhatsApp.

Over the course of the following 18 days, in March last year, he repeatedly tried to persuade ‘Mollie’ to send him intimate images of herself and told her he would instruct her how to perform a sex act upon herself.

Miss Marsay said the defendant also discussed meeting ‘Mollie’, making travel arrangements so she could spend a night with him.

Members of COST confronted Hoffman at his home, at the time, in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, on March 26, 2023, and police were summoned to the address to arrest the defendant, who was found sitting on the stairs while the paedophile hunters waited at the door.

Following his arrest, Hofmann made no comment in police interviews in March and August last year.

But, by the time the case came before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe, on September 3 this year, the 23-year-old defendant, now living back with his family in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to all four charges put to him.

He admitted attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to possess an indecent image of a child, attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.

The offences were all classed as “attempts” as no actual child was involved, unknown to Hofmann.

Stephen Ferns, in mitigation, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was, at the time of the offences, working for National Express based in the North East and felt, “lonely and isolated”.

Mr Ferns said Hofmann was not “actively seeking” a relationship with an underage girl, and accessed an adult site, "seeking a relationship with an adult".

He said the opportunity of it being a child then, “presented itself”.

“He fully accepts knowing the age and continuing the conversation on WhatsApp.

“He was isolated and lonely and had recently moved to a new area and had not had a relationship for four years.

“He had not set out looking for a relationship with a child, but he fully accepts he pursued it when it was presented to him.

“He told the Probation Service he has no sexual interest in children, but it was the case that he became interested in this female when the situation presented itself and he did then have a sexual interest in this child.

“What he told the probation report author was said out of fear, shame and confusion.”

Mr Ferns said the defendant now accepts he needs to address his unhealthy interest.

The lawyer said, following his arrest, Hofmann lost his employment with National Express and moved back to his family home in Gloucestershire.

He has since found new employment, working initially in the haulage industry as a driver.

Mr Ferns said if the defendant was given the opportunity of a non-custodial sentence, he could work with the Probation Service to continue his rehabilitation.

Judge Nathan Adams said, having, “carefully considered” the sentence he should pass, that he was just persuaded to step back from passing an immediate prison sentence.

The judge said, however, that imposing restrictions on the defendant to prevent a repeat of his behaviour were, “entirely necessary” in this case.

Imposing a three-year community order, as a direct alternative to prison, Judge Adams said the defendant must complete 150-hours’ unpaid work, and attend 40 rehabilitation activity days, plus 40 sessions of an accredited programme, both overseen by the Probation Service.

He was also made subject of both a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, including a prohibition on any unsupervised contact with children aged under 18, and the requirement to register as a sex offender, each to run for the next ten years.

Judge Adams told Hoffman he was “making it plain” he must comply with the orders in full and commit no further offences, or risk receiving a first term of imprisonment.

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A Fife pensioner upskirted six teenage girls in a Fife Tesco in a single day.

Bruce Clark, 77, of Limekilns, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to plead guilty to five voyeurism offences  – one involving two girls – which took place at the Winterthur Lane store in Dunfermline on November 5 this year.

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A man who arranged to meet and rape two children in a Derbyshire town – sending explicit photos to who he thought was their mother – has been jailed.

Christopher Hackett had been speaking to the ‘mother’ of the two children online, arranging to meet up at a hotel in Alfreton so he could have sex with her 12-year-old ‘daughter’ and eight-year-old ‘son’. He sent explicit photos and described what he wanted to do to the children.

However, the person Hackett was actually speaking to was actually a police officer, and when he arrived at the hotel for the meeting, he was instead arrested.

The 37-year-old had taken a number of items to the hotel, including sweets, bottles of fizzy drinks and a bottle of lubrication.

Following his arrest, his mobile phone was seized and examined and found to contain thousands of indecent images and videos of children.

He was later charged with attempted sexual communication with a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and possession of indecent images.

Hackett, of Town Lane, Rotherham, admitted the offences and appeared at Derby Crown Court on November 12, where he was jailed for seven and a half years – with an extended four-year licence period for dangerousness. He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

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A pervert sent horrific videos of animals being sexually abused to a "teenage girl" he was chatting to online.

Kevin Clark, 63, sent the videos of a woman having sex with a horse and a dog, after the online user said she "liked animals." Clark used the name "John Smyth" on a chat service, when he had the conversation with a girl - who he though was 15 - in April 2022.

He asked her if she wanted to see a video of underage siblings having sex, before telling her that adults posted pornographic pictures of animals on the site and "she was too young to see that and she should leave." Clark said that he was "excited" to see what would be posted.

He then asked the child if she wanted a photo of his private parts; and told her that he was "thinking about her with a dog." Teesside Crown Court has heard that the "child" has never been traced and may have been a teenage girl or an adult decoy, looking for sex offenders online.

Police arrested Clark on May 31, 2023, after receiving intelligence that he had illegal photos of children. They found videos and images of children being sexually abused, on his mobile phone. He had also downloaded 20 photos showing animals being sexually abused.

Clark later pleaded guilty to the distribution of indecent images; three counts of making indecent images; attempting sexual communications with a child; attempting to cause a child to watch a sex act; and to the possession of extreme pornography featuring animals.

In mitigation Nigel Soppitt told the court that Clark had been isolated and grieving the death of his mother, when he committed the offences. "His relationship ended and he had no one to turn to at all during his grieving. Not a single member of his family is alive.

"He resorted to chat rooms and the darker recesses of the internet. He says he engaged in some sort of odd fantasy."

Judge Paul Reid told Clark, "...at 63, most of us have suffered bereavements and traumas, and we do not resort to this utterly disgusting behaviour." He jailed Clark, of Wales Street in Darlington, for 32-months.

He must sign the sex offender' register for the next ten years.

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A "predatory" cheerleading coach repeatedly abused a 13-year-old girl. Rosanna Awan inappropriately touched the youngster and abused her position of trust with the child.

The offences by Awan, now 34, took place when she was in her 20s. Awan repeatedly inappropriately touched the girl. The abuse emerged when the victim reported it to Leicestershire Police in 2019.

Awan stood trial at Leicester Crown Court in October 2024, where she was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child and a single charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. She returned to court yesterday (Wednesday, December 4) where she was handed a 10-year jail sentence.

Detective Constable Catherine Anderson, who led the investigation, said after sentencing: "This case involved a person in a position of trust taking advantage of a person in their care, and Awan's behaviour towards her young victim was predatory.

"I'm so pleased the victim came forward to report her behaviour, recognising it for what it was many years later. I'd urge anyone in the same position to come forward. We will take your reports seriously and investigate thoroughly."

Alongside the jail sentence, Awan was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. She will be a registered sex offender for life.

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Teacher sent naked Snapchat photos to 15-year-old said 'I bet all the boys fancy me'

A supply teacher who sent naked pictures and videos of herself to a 15-year-old boy on Snapchat has been jailed.

Natalie Arroyo, 33, groomed the teen by sending him the images and telling him she wanted to have sex with him. She also told him she would leave her husband, and sent him a clip of herself performing a sex act.

A court heard how the underage boy was in a “vulnerable” state when Arroyo began contact with him. She began sending the inappropriate texts when she was working as a progress coach and a supply teacher.

Arroyo's conversation with the boy on Snapchat was "innocent" at first but she introduced a sexual element to the conversation and became flirtatious, a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

She told the victim: "I bet all the boys fancy me. I don't blame them – I have really big boobs." Arroyo then sent pictures of her breasts in a bra and asked the victim to send a picture of his penis, which he did.

She later asked the boy to come and meet her for sex and said she would pick him up and could go back to her house. The defendant sent photos of her bottom half in underwear and told him "I touched myself while thinking about you."

The victim asked her to stop sending photos as he was out shopping with his mother and aunt and she responded: "It's so fun to tease you." Arroyo continued to send messages of a sexual nature, told the victim he could "do whatever he wanted to her", and said she "didn't have a gag reflex" and wanted to perform oral sex upon him, Wales Online reports.

Prosecutor Andrew Kendall said the defendant sent pictures of her bare breasts. She asked the boy if he "had any kinks" and said she "liked to be dominated". Arroyo also asked the victim when they were going to meet and said she would "leave her husband for him".

The teenager told Arroyo he didn't want to have sex with her but she tried to convince him otherwise. She sent the boy a picture of her genitals and asked him to come and see her as her husband was at work. He said he didn't want to and the defendant responded by sending a video of herself performing a sex act. A couple of days later Arroyo sent a message to the boy saying it was "best to forget about the messages".

The offences came to light after the victim disclosed the abuse to another adult and the defendant was arrested. She was interviewed and initially denied having contact with the boy but after a break she accepted she had sent the messages but claimed she thought the boy was 16.

Arroyo, of Shady Road, Gelli, Rhondda, later pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual communication with a child. The court heard she was of previous good character.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by Mr Kendall, the teenager said: "I have suffered with anxiety and suffered a breakdown. I stopped wanting to go out with friends and felt upset about the situation as I've become known as the boy this has happened to. Children have come up to me and asked about it and they think it's funny and something to laugh about. I felt I was at fault at first and had no-one to talk about it with. I trusted her... I feel betrayed and taken advantage of. I didn't know how to stop it."

In mitigation Ruth Smith said her client had faced huge adversity in her life having had difficulty in her childhood, abusive relationships, and experienced bullying at school. As an adult she suffered miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies and has PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She also has a young son with her husband who, in a reference to the court, described her offences as a "moment of madness".

Judge Eugene Egan said he disagreed with this description. He said: "You have blamed the boy in the past, you had an unimpressive interview with probation, and you are unable to grasp the enormity of what you did. You have a 'woe is me' attitude. You knew [the victim] was vulnerable and you exploited that... You deployed guile and cunning to manipulate that boy."

Arroyo was sentenced to a total of three years and four months' imprisonment. She was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order indefinitely.

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A MAN has been jailed for 27 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing children.

Marc Bear, aged 38, and from Launceston, was also given a year on extended licence, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

He appeared at Truro Crown Court on Friday December 5, where HHJ Judge Carr told him that he would be a risk to children for the rest of his life.

Following a trial which concluded in November, the jury found Bear guilty of the following 16 offences against children: ten counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity

They also found Bear not guilty of two offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Following conviction, the judge granted Bear bail in order to prepare for a custodial sentence, however he absconded and was located the following day in Somerset. The judge told him it was clear he had planned to abscond, saying: “that told me everything I need to know about your character”.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Tim Barbery from the Public Protection Unit said: “This was a highly disturbing case where the offender has exploited the vulnerability of young people for his own sexual gratification, and I welcome the sentence handed down by the judge.

“This has been a protracted investigation due to the nature of the offences and the strength and bravery shown by the victims in support of the police case has been crucial.

“I hope the outcome given today provides them with a small element of closure so that they can begin to move forward.”

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A man pushed his way into a woman's caravan in the early hours of the morning and sexually assaulted her, a court has heard. James Birmingham pushed and threw the woman around the static home "like a rag doll" before carrying out a sex act on her.

Swansea Crown Court heard details of a statement from the woman in which she described the devastating emotional and psychological impact of the attack. She also described the "indignity'" of having to give evidence at her trial in front of strangers and of having her integrity challenged in court.

The court heard the assault happened in November last year at a caravan park on Gower. In the early hours of the morning the defendant knocked on the door of the victim's caravan and the woman, thinking there was some kind of problem on the site, got out of bed to see what was going on. The court heard the woman then tried to close the door on Birmingham, 47, but he pushed his way inside. During the course of the subsequent assault the defendant threw and pushed the woman around the caravan before sexually assaulting her.

In an impact statement read to the court the woman said he replays the attack over and over again in her head and said she cannot help but wonder whether it was somehow her fault. She said there is not a part of her which does not believe Birmingham was trying to rape her that night, and she said she now sees herself as a victim of a sexual assault and she feels she will never be the person she used to be. She said the Gower incident had "devastated" her life. The woman also described the "indignity" of having to go through a trial and relive the attack in front of strangers and of having her integrity challenged.

James Birmingham, of Pentregethin Road, Cwmbwrla, Swansea, had previously been convicted at trial of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and sexual assault when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has previous convictions for motoring matters.

Hilary Roberts, for Birmingham, said "thoughtful and constructive" references before the court showed the defendant was well-regarded by people who knew him and showed he was not somebody who usually behaved in the way he had done on the night in question. He said a sentence of immediate custody would be "catastrophic" for the defendant, for his teenage son, and for his employment and he invited the court to consider suspending the custodial sentence that was due.

Judge Geraint Walters said after gaining entry to the caravan Birmingham had used "pretty relentless violence" and had thrown the woman around the caravan "like a rag doll" before sexually assaulting her. He said he had no doubt alcohol had played its part in the "hugely unpleasant" offending. Birmingham was sentenced to three years in prison and will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.