HARTLEPOOL MAN JAILED FOR REPEATED RAPES OVER SEVERAL YEARS
A man named Paul James has been sentenced for a series of sexual offenses against a woman in Stockton.The victim reported that James had raped her multiple times over several years, with the first incident occurring after a night out in the Zanzibar nightclub in Stockton.
During the incident, James took her on a long walk through a cemetery before inviting her to his house.
The woman recalled that he initially tried to kiss her, which she rejected, but then they went into his house and into his bedroom.
James undressed her, pinned her wrists above her head, covered her mouth, and assaulted her.
The victim described feeling shaken and bruised afterward, and she later told police she sat on the edge of the bed, trembling, and that James acted as if nothing had happened, telling her not to tell anyone.
She also mentioned that he later said the sex was consensual when she reported him to police years later.
She struggled with depression, substance abuse, flashbacks, and suicidal thoughts due to the trauma.
James, now 46, had previously served a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a child under 13 in 2017.
He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of rape for offenses spanning several years until 2007.
Judge Brian Cox sentenced him to seven years in prison and imposed a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order, both indefinite, prohibiting contact with the victim.
The investigation was supported by police efforts and victim support services.
Detective Sergeant Blenkinsop expressed satisfaction with the judgment, emphasizing that it is never too late to report sexual offenses, and underlined the importance of justice and support for victims.
