Darlington sexual predator jailed for life for sickening rape of pensioner

Keith Anderson tricked his way into his victim’s house before subjecting her to a degrading sexual assault while threatening to ‘snap her neck’ and stab her if she didn’t comply.

The 35-year-old’s vile attack has left his victim too scared to be on her own and wanting to move out of her own house, Teesside Crown Court heard.

In a powerful victim impact statement, the Darlington grandmother said she was struggling to comprehend the pain and suffering she endured at the hands of Anderson.

Keith Anderson

She added: “My biggest fear is that he had his arm around my neck and threatened to snap it and stab me – I really thought he was going to kill me.”

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The victim’s daughter also told of the devastating impact the attack had on her mother.

“This is by far the hardest thing that I have had to put down on paper, trying to describe the impact it has had on all our family,” she said.

“I just feel physically sick that this could happen to my mother.”

Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, told the court that Anderson had been either in prison or on licence for most of the last 14 years for a variety of offences before he committed the horrendous attack.

Anderson, of The Broadway South, Darlington, pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault following the attack in March this year.

Sentencing Anderson to a life in prison, Recorder Craig Hassall QC told him he would face a minimum of eight years behind bars before he could be considered for parole after leaving his victim traumatised.

"She is understandably terrified to be alone in her own home, she is considering moving away from it," he said.

"You made threats to kill your victim, telling her while your arm was around her neck that you could snap her neck or alternatively, you would stab her if she would not engage with you in this frankly, disgusting, sexual contact."

He added: "You took steps to prevent your victim from reporting this vile offence, you asked her not to tell anyone and then threatened to take your own life."

The judge praised the efforts of detectives who investigated the case and said he intended to commend their work to the chief constable of Durham Constabulary.

Martin Towers, in mitigation, said his client was ashamed of his behaviour and had pleaded guilty as soon as he had been declared fit to plead.

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