TEENAGER JAILED FOR BRUTAL HOME INVASION AND RAPE IN NEWCASTLE
Baby-faced teenager who raped a nurse after creeping into her home as she slept and attacking her in bed is jailed for nine years A jury at Newcastle Crown Court found him guilty and sentenced him to 9 years A student nurse feared she would be killed by a violent intruder who choked and raped her after creeping into her home in the dead of night.Liam Dixon pounced out of the darkness onto his victim as she slept in her bed and launched the terrifying attack that has left her living in constant fear.
During the violence Dixon told his victim he had ‘back up’ with him downstairs and blocked her attempts to reach for a lamp so she could see the face of her rapist.
At Newcastle Crown Court the 18-year-old, of Silver Lonnen, Fenham, Newcastle, who denied two charges of rape but was found guilty by a jury after a trial, has been jailed for nine years.
He must sign the Sex Offenders Register and abide by the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention order for the rest of his life.
Because the teen, who was just 17 when he carried out the shocking attack, denied the offences, his victim had to relive her ordeal by giving evidence against him in court.
The victim said in an impact statement: ‘I feel he is a danger to women and the community at large.
‘I honestly thought I was going to die as I couldn’t breathe while being throttled.
‘I fear what he will do in the future and I fear for his next victim.’ The court heard the woman had been asleep in her bed last June when she was woken by a sound but soon drifted back off.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the woman had been asleep in her bed last June when she was woken by a sound but soon drifted back off She had not realise that the noise was Dixon getting into her home and creeping upstairs through the darkness.
Judge Amanda Rippon told him: ‘Ten minutes later you crept into her bedroom and jumped straight on top of her.
‘She was in shock, she was saying ‘what are you doing’ and tried to get you off her, tried to push you away.
‘That’s when you put both hands around her neck, squeezing for quite some time.
‘She describes you keeping your hands around her neck for ages, choking her so she couldn’t breathe.
‘She told the court she really thought she was going to die.
‘When you finally stopped strangling her she thought she had no choice but to let you do what you wanted to do.
‘She tried to put on a lamp so she could see your face but you would not let her.
She tried to reach her phone but couldn’t.’ The judge said the victim, who brought the attack to an end by saying that the sound of a dog barking meant a friend was arriving at her home, was ‘extraordinarily brave.’ When Dixon fled the house the woman, who had dried blood on her face after the attack but is unsure what caused it, immediately rang 999 for help.
The woman is now considering moving away from her home and said every little noise and creak has her on edge.
She added: ‘It’s an emotional rollercoaster of anger, fear, panic, frustration, shame and isolation.’ The woman said Dixon’s attack has ‘removed her ability to live freely’.
Rachel Landen, defending, told the court Dixon now accepts what he did and added: ‘He would like to say sorry to the victim but knows he can’t.’
