Kevin Knox 33

Description

A woman recognised her rapist and "took matters into her own hands" in order to bring him to justice. Kevin Knox spiked his victim's drink with sleeping tablets before sexually abusing her as she lay powerless to resist in her own bed.

Months later, the 33-year-old attempted to attack her again in an almost identical manner. But the quick-thinking complainant rumbled his depraved plot and swapped their drinks around, meaning that he "ended up essentially drugging himself".

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that Knox raped the woman in August last year before returning to her flat for a second time three months later, leading to an incident which saw him break into the address and steal a kitchen knife. Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, described the "strange circumstances of the case", with the victim having been "supplementing her income" by working as an escort at the time.

Knox, of Maplewood in Kirkby, initially met her as a "potential client" via the website AdultWork. They were said to have "come to an arrangement that he would pay her a sum of money in return for sex", namely £1,750, but he "had no intention of paying".

He instead spiked the woman's vodka drink with zopiclone, a sleeping tablet which was subsequently found in her system, leaving her "feeling extremely groggy" and "rendering her pretty much incapable" before "forcefully" raping her in her own bed. Knox then allegedly stole her bank cards before leaving, although he was subsequently acquitted of charges in relation to this.

Then, in November, he contacted her again "asking if he could pay for her services" using a different phone number and a false name of "Danny". She however recognised him upon him subsequently attending her apartment once more and "decided to take matters into her own hands".

Knox again poured two drinks, but she switched their glasses without his knowledge. He then "started to demonstrate signs of having been drugged" and was subsequently dropped off at a petrol station by the woman.

However, he then returned to her now empty flat once more and smashed a window in order to gain entry before stealing a knife from the kitchen. Police officers then attended the scene and found Knox "wandering about in a communal area" and "stumbling around" with the weapon.

Zopiclone was then similarly found in his system following his arrest. Traces of his semen were also detected during swabs taken from the complainant following the first incident.

Mr Roberts told jurors: "The crown say that, in August, he went round to the flat of an escort intending to have sex, whether she liked it or not and whether he was able to pay or not. The crown say that he saw her as an easy touch and that, a couple of months later, he went round to the same address with the intention of doing exactly the same thing.

"This time, in a strange turn of events, he ended up essentially drugging himself. Then, he broke into her house and armed himself with a knife - thankfully, the police intervened before he could use it."

Robert Wyn Jones, appearing for the prosecution yesterday, told the court that Knox has a total of four previous convictions for eight offences including burglary, but none for sexual offences. He was however subjected to a sexual risk order in 2016 due to "sexually exploitative behaviour towards adolescents and young females" and his "inappropriate sexual interests".

Simon Christie, defending, told the court: "It is of note that his antecedents are for different matters. His only sentence of imprisonment was in September 2016, when he received four months for a wholly different matter.

"He is now in a completely different position, facing, with little experience of the system, a substantial prison sentence. These are serious matters. He is educated. He has been a worker in bars and warehouses.

"He has the benefit of substantial family support. His parents are in court today, and others have supplied references speaking of the other side to the defendant - a respectable family man, a hard worker and a person who people can rely on.

"The defendant is in relatively poor health. He has depression, ulcers for which he has had surgery, Bell's palsy and kidney stones."

Knox was found guilty of three counts of rape and one of burglary by a jury. He was jailed for 12 years, of which he must serve at least two thirds before becoming eligible for release, and handed an additional two years on licence.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: "In my judgement, you never intended to pay her anything. You spiked her drink in the way she alleged and used violence on her to have intercourse with her.

"She was incapable of fighting you off. She was trying to push you away, but you ripped her shorts off and were determined to have sexual intercourse.

"Testimonials say what a great person you are and how honest, trustworthy and helpful in your community you are. From my observations, I do not find you to be honest, helpful or trustworthy." Knox was also handed an indefinite restraining order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.