Tony O’Neill 59

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A former Fleetwood councillor has today been jailed for a total of seven years after previously being found guilty of rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Tony O’Neill, 59, formerly of The Esplanade, Fleetwood, was convicted of the charges following a trial at Preston Crown Court in July.

He appeared at the same court today for sentencing for the historic offences, which prosecutors say occurred when the defendent was a younger man.

O’Neill, formerly of The Esplanade, became a well-known figure in Fleetwood after serving on the town council and co-founding the local branch of the charity Men’s Shed in 2018, a support group for men who have experienced mental illness.

He left the charity in 2022 and is no longer involved.

He was also familiar to many from his years working as a taxi driver and running a pub in the town.

But in 2022, O’Neill was arrested and charged with four counts of rape of a female, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and a charge of burglary in a dwelling with intent to rape.

He pleaded not guilty to all counts but was convicted by jury who found him guilty on two counts of rape and both counts of ABH.

Judge HHJ Mathieson jailed O’Neill for seven years for the rape counts and one year for the assault, but ordered that these be served concurrently rather than consecutively, meaning the total sentece was seven years.