Locations
London Road, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11
Description
A CONVICTED rapist from Chester tried to contact his victim weeks after being released from prison.
Neil James Shaw, 37, previously of Blacon, was jailed for eight years and told to sign the sex offenders' register for life after being found guilty of rape in June 2018.
He was released from prison in December 2021, to serve the remainder of his sentence out on licence, but within weeks he had tried to contact his victim by sending her a friend request on Facebook on February 4, Chester Crown Court heard on Thursday, April 14.
That put Shaw, who had been staying in London Road, Sandbach, in breach of an indefinite restraining order which prevented him from contacting his victim.
Judge Patrick Thompson jailed Shaw for 18 months, after Shaw admitted the breach.
Shaw had previously been convicted by a Chester Crown Court jury of rape, common assault, putting a person in fear of violence and engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour. He had also breached a restraining order then.
Shaw raped his victim by refusing to stop during consensual sex despite the victim becoming upset and telling him no and to stop. After the rape he allegedly told her: Its not rape if its your bird.
After the 2018 conviction, the victim said: If people read this article and are going through what I went through, I hope it gives them the strength to come forward. People will believe you.
Nobody should make you feel that low about yourself when they are in the wrong. If I have saved one person by them reading this then thats more than enough for me.
At Chester Crown Court this month, a statement from the victim told of the impact at receiving the friend request on Facebook, and how she feared Shaw would subsequently visit her home.
Detective Constable Kelly Birch from Chester CID said: I welcome the sentence handed to Shaw and I hope that it acts as a warning to others.
Shaw was well aware of the restrictions against him yet despite this he still tried to contact his victim via Facebook, causing her further unnecessary distress and anxiety.
Thankfully the victim had the courage to come forward and report the breach to police, and as a result Shaw is now back behind bars.