Locations
Cross Flatts Street, Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS11
Description
A rapist who strangled a woman and kept her prisoner has been handed an 18-year extended sentence.
Lee Jones, who is from Leeds, attacked the victim twice in Knutsford, Cheshire and used a knife to make threats against her family.
On the first occasion, he strangled her before motioning to a knife on the floor and making threats to her family.
Jones was arrested on February 26 last year after she managed to message family members and ask them to call the police for her.
During his police interviews, he claimed the sex he had with the victim was consensual and strangulation marks on her neck were a result of that consensual sex, but he later pleaded guilty to two counts of rape.
On March 1 this year at Chester Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, as well as sexual assault by penetration, false imprisonment and causing actual bodily harm in relation to the strangulation.
On Tuesday, April 19, the 46-year-old, of Cross Flatts Street, Beeston, was jailed for 12 years and handed an extended licence of six years.
The judge also made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to sign the sex offenders' register, which he must remain on for the rest of his life.
Det Cons Andrew Cole, of Macclesfield CID, said: "Lee Jones subjected his victim to a horrendous level of sexual and physical abuse. Thanks to the bravery of the victim in disclosing what Jones had subjected her to, he has been brought to justice for his heinous actions.
"I am delighted that he is now behind bars, where he cannot pose a threat to society.
"Whilst the victim will never be able to forget what Jones subjected her to, I hope that the culmination of this case and the sentence that has been handed out by Chester Crown Court gives her some closure and enables her to move forward with her life."
Ch Insp Matt Lager, of Macclesfield Local Policing Unit, added: "Sexual offences, particularly rape, are horrendous crimes and this is a particularly distressing case.
"I would like to thank all the officers involved in the investigation for their hard work in gathering the required level of evidence to ensure that Lee Jones is made to face the consequences of his actions in the form of a substantial prison sentence.
"I hope that this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us."