Police welcome conviction of rapist

Anderson was sentenced to 22 and a half months in prison at a sitting of Craigavon Crown Court on Tuesday (September 10).

He will also be required to sign the sex offenders’ register and will be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years.

Detectives from PSNI’s Public Protection Branch welcomed the conviction for rape and two counts of sexual assault against a woman.

Detective Inspector Leah Crothers said: “The young woman involved displayed immense courage in coming forward to police and I welcome the fact that this offender is now behind bars.

“I hope that the young woman’s resolution to bring him to justice will encourage anyone else who has experienced any form of sexual abuse to come forward to police.

“Our officers in PSNI’s Public Protection Branch are committed to investigating all reports of sexual assault and we seek to place offenders before the courts so they can be made amenable for their crimes. We have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and respect. I would continue to encourage anyone who has experienced any form of sexual assault to contact police on 101.”

Craigavon Crown Court heard that 30-year-old Anderson, who was also ordered to spend 22 and a half months under supervised license conditions, initially sexually assaulted his victim and was told at that stage “she was not consenting to any sexual activity.”

The 25-year-old woman went back to sleep but was awoken later by Anderson when he raped her in the early hours of November 19, 2017.

At an earlier hearing, Anderson, from Avenue Road in Lurgan, admitted two charges of sexual assault and a count of rape in that he had sexual intercourse with his victim to which “he did not reasonably believe that she so consented.”

Jailing Anderson and imposing a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, Judge Patrick Lynch QC told him that without the guilty pleas, he would have faced a sentence of five years.

Rehearsing the facts of the case, the judge outlined how Anderson and the woman had been at a house warming party, adding that while the victim was “not sober, she was not drunk.”

She left to go home and encountered Anderson whom she had known for a number of years.

“She asked him to phone a taxi but he suggested going to his house and getting a taxi from there. When they went round there she began drinking Jack Daniels, and cocaine was taken by the defendant,” said the judge.

At 5am, she asked him to get a taxi but he suggested she wouldn’t get one at that time of the morning and asked her if she wanted to stay.

Judge Lynch said there was an “agreed arrangement” that she should take his bed, a short time later she was awakened by Anderson sexually assaulting her.”

“She pulled away from him and made it clear she was not consenting to any sexual activity,” said the judge, but he told the court despite those protests, she was woken again and this time, Anderson was raping her.

According to victim impact reports, the attack had “ badly affected her confidence” but that Anderson’s guilty pleas ahead of the trial, saving her the ordeal of having to testify in court, was very welcome.

Judge Lynch said the misuse of illegal drugs played a part in this case.

He added that one aggravating feature was that the victim was vulnerable and was in the home of the defendant and had every right to expect protection.

The judge also ordered Anderson to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.