Locations
Shildon, County Durham, DL4
Description
A sadistic rapist has been jailed after carrying out a horrific raft of sexual offences inflicted upon a vulnerable woman.
Richard Morland recorded more than ten hours of his sexual abuse on a number of digital devices over a protracted period of time.
A judge told the defendant that his sickening offending was some of the worst she had ever witnessed after watching some of the disturbing video footage.
The depraved 47-year-old also broke into the home of another woman in the early hours of New Year’s Day and spent six hours hiding inside waiting for her to return but eventually left after stealing several pairs of worn-underwear.
Morland was captured on ring doorbell footage when his victim returned home to find her patio doors smashed open.
When police arrested the defendant, they carried out a search of his Shildon property and recovered a length of rope, a roll of tape and several pairs of unwashed underwear stuffed in a drawer, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Judge Jo Kidd branded Morland a dangerous offender as she passed a 27-year sentence for the horrific sexual abuse he inflicted on his victim.
“He repeatedly raped her and that is aggravated significantly by the fact he recorded those crimes,” she said.
“I had the opportunity of watching a short excerpt of the particular rapes set out in the charges, they make for the most disturbing viewing.
“What is clear is that his behaviour towards his victim was punctuated by physical force against the background of her screaming, crying, and trying to push him off. She was repeatedly telling him how much he was hurting her.
“One final image shows her cowering against a wall, a broken victim. He would also tell her he was going to tie her up and used that threat to terrorise her.
“This is one of the most perverted, sadistic, expressions of violence towards a woman that I have ever seen.”
Morland, of Shildon, pleaded guilty to several rapes on the same victim, and trespass with intent to commit a sexual act when he broke into the house in Newton Aycliffe.
Robert Woodcock, prosecuting, said the defendant’s abuse was ‘bullying, sadistic, and misogynistic’ when he outlined the catalogue of offences, which occurred over a protracted period of time, including repeatedly raping the woman.
He said that Morland used his victim’s past suffering against her in an attempt to force her to engage in sexual activities.
Dealing with the second victim, he said Morland had superimposed her face onto video footage of him raping and sexually abusing his first victim.
Mr Woodcock said the defendant's behaviour in the property had left her feeling scared and unable to relax in her own home.
Syam Soni, mitigating, said his client regrets the impact that his offending had on the two victims.
Morland was told he would serve 22-years in prison before being released on a five-year extended licence period.
He was also made subject of an indefinite order to sign on the sex offenders’ register.