Royston White 45

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A prolific criminal from South Devon has been jailed for 10 years for sexually assaulting a woman in her home.

Royston White broke down the woman's door then armed himself with knives before the terrifying assault, Exeter Crown Court was told.

He demanded she tell him her PIN number so he could take out cash to buy drugs.

She wrote it down for him and he sexually assaulted her.

When police arrested White, also known as Southhall, he threatened to slit the woman's throat.

The defendant, 40, of Church Street, Paignton, was found guilty at a trial in April of assault by penetration, blackmail and possessing ketamine. He also admitted possessing two knives in a public place.

He refused to attend most of the trial and stayed in his cell for the sentencing on Monday. The court was told he was studying Buddhism in jail.

Recorder Martin Meeke QC said White had rarely worked and had notched up 61 previous court appearances, mostly for dishonesty offences but some violence.

He considered whether to impose an extended sentence but had decided, after reading the pre-sentence report, that the defendant did not pose a danger to the wider public.

"The defendant has been a drug addict for many years," said Recorder Meeke.

"He said during the trial it would be easier to say which drugs he had not taken rather than those which he had.

"At its worst he had a drug habit of £300 a day."

The trial was told White would regularly steal to feed his habit. He admitted he would 'make a complete a***hole of myself' if he did not get what he wanted.

Mr William Parkhill, for White, said he was an intelligent man whose senses were confused by drugs. He could not remember the sexual assault.

South Devon police commander Ch Supt Keith Perkin tweeted after the hearing: "Due to an excellent investigation from the South Devon Sexual Offences & Domestic Abuse Team, Royston Southall has been sentenced to 10yrs imprisonment. This was not an easy investigation and outcome, a credit to the investigators."