Michael Silcock 56

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A judge has praised a woman for her tenacity and courage in bringing a rapist to justice.

Michael Silcock, 56, of Bull Close Lane, Halifax, was jailed for 11 years at Bradford Crown Court after a jury convicted him of raping her and sexually assaulting her twice.

The court heard he attacked her in the early hours while she was heavily intoxicated, drifting in and out of consciousness and physically unable to resist. He was said to have “preyed on her helplessness”.

In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Michael Morley, the victim said she had been left feeling scared, anxious and paranoid, suffering sporadic flashbacks that left her unable to breathe.

Silcock had 40 previous convictions for 91 offences — including wounding, assault and dishonesty — dating back to 1983. Mitigating, his barrister Abigail Langford noted a significant gap in his offending since 2013 with no previous sexual offences. She said he had struggled with alcoholism and addiction and had undergone a tracheotomy during cancer treatment.

Sentencing him, His Honour Judge Ahmed Nadim said the emotional damage inflicted was “severe and long lasting” and added: “It would not be an exaggeration to say that she has lost interest in life.”

Judge Nadim described the assault as a “violation”. He ordered Silcock to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before release on licence, to register as a sex offender for life, and imposed a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He added: “The court expresses its profound gratitude to [the victim] for the courage and the tenacity she has shown in the face of this serious violation and having had the courage to give evidence so that the defendant may be brought to justice.”