SMIRKING CHURCHGOER DENNIS MANDZIKWA JAILED FOR RAPES IN CARDIFF
A smirking churchgoer raped a woman he met on Facebook as she held her sleeping baby.He refused to "take no for an answer" and the victim had to call a neighbour before he stopped.
Dennis Mandzikwa, 52, travelled from his home in Oxford to Cardiff after befriending the woman on social media.
But he forced himself upon her and raped her twice as she protected her children.
The victim said the rapist failed to treat her as a human being and the memory of the attacks will "stay with her forever".
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court was told Mandzikwa bombarded the victim, who has lifelong anonymity, with messages until she agreed for him to visit her home in Cardiff last year.
The first rape took place on the evening the defendant arrived when the victim went to attend to her baby.
Mandzikwa entered the bedroom, removed his clothes, and put on a condom.
As the victim held her child he raped her.
She said: "Not in front of my [child]." The next morning Mandzikwa tried to grab the victim several times, expressing desire for a relationship.
He asked her if her children would be sleeping soon — another hint he wanted sex.
He then forcefully assaulted her with his fingers, fondled her breasts, kissed, and sucked them.
After removing his trousers, he pushed her down on the sofa and raped her from behind while her child slept in her arms.
The defendant, of Spruce Gardens, Oxford, denied the offences but was found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault following a trial.
He has previous convictions but none for sexual offences.
A victim personal statement detailed the profound effect on her and her children, describing feelings of shame, isolation, guilt, and struggles with confidence and sleep.
In mitigation, Stephen Donnelly said Mandzikwa had a troubled background, experienced trauma, and has two children, fearing to lose their trust.
Sentencing, Recorder Paul Lewis KC said: "You pose a high risk of harm to adult females, specifically those known to you or whom you aim to form a relationship with.
You indeed pose a significant risk to females for serious harm." Mandzikwa was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment, with an extra four years on licence.
He will serve two-thirds before parole consideration and is subject to a restraining order, a sexual harm prevention order, and indefinite registration as a sex offender.
