Man convicted of four counts of rape to be sentenced in New Year following preparation of psychiatric report

Shaun Elliott Paul denied five counts of rape, but was convicted of four of the charges on unanimous jury verdicts following a near three week-long trial at Durham Crown Court.

The jury cleared him of one of the rape counts, while 24-year-old Paul previously admitted assaulting the woman, causing her actual bodily harm.

The verdicts came at the end of a re-trial in the case, after a reporting restriction was lifted by Judge Christopher Prince.

It was put in place following the failure of a jury to reach verdicts at the end of a previous trial, earlier this year.

Paul, of Burnip Close, Easington Colliery, was accused of a single rape in March last year and the remainder on the night of May 18/19, 2013.

In the first incident he was said to have grasped his victim round the neck so tightly she feared she was going to die.

During the second incident, the court heard the woman twice attempted to flee naked from the house where it took place, but was dragged back, once by the hair, by Paul, who is 6ft 8in and weighs almost 20-stones.

The court heard the ordeal took place later on a night when both had earlier attended a leaving party which began at a pub in Peterlee and moved on to a house in the town.

Paul claimed the sex was consensual, but admitted having struck the woman, causing facial injuries.

He was said to have been scratched by her in return.

Following the verdicts, Judge Prince requested preparation of reports by a psychiatrist, to include an assessment of Paul’s perceived “dangerousness”, and by the Probation Service.

Paul was taken to the cells sobbing, remanded in custody pending sentence on a date to be arranged in the New Year.

As a result of the conviction, his name will also be entered onto the sex offenders’ register.

Judge Prince asked the Crown to request an impact statement from the victim, to be read, in person, should she wish, at the sentencing hearing.