OFFENDER GIVEN LENGTHY SENTENCE FOR DISTURBING SPENNYMOOR PARK RAPE
A man who carried out a "serious, disturbing and depraved" sexual assault on a young woman during a jogging session has received an extended prison sentence.In a chance encounter, 21-year-old Jamie Thomas Mason, who was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, approached the woman and dragged her into a public park.
There, he raped her multiple times, while also punching and threatening her and her family.
The Durham Crown Court heard that during a 45-minute ordeal on the morning of Saturday, October 22, last year, Mason coerced the woman into submitting to his degrading demands out of fear of harm.
During the assault, he broke her nose, knocked off her glasses, and left her heavily bloodied with a swollen black eye.
Mason took a photograph of her in her bloodstained and distressed state using his girlfriend’s mobile, claiming he would send the image to his family.
However, he later deleted the photograph after his arrest later that day.
The court was told that Mason had initially approached her by asking for directions and then forcibly led her into the park, threatening to stab and kill her if she tried to resist.
The assault lasted about three-quarters of an hour until the victim managed to run to a member of the public for help.
Mason, who was previously living in supported accommodation in Sunderland and wanted on prison recall, had 42 offences on his record and had recently served sentences for robbery.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, kidnap, making threats to kill, and causing actual bodily harm.
The victim’s impact statement revealed ongoing psychological trauma, including fear of public outings and ongoing counseling.
Mason was sentenced to an extended prison term of thirteen years and six months with a six-year extended license period, meaning he will serve at least nine years before being eligible for parole.
He is also required to register as a sex offender for life.
Police praised the victim’s bravery and expressed hope that the sentence would enable her to move forward.
