WHEN former soldier John Ellison wept as he was led to the cells yesterday, it was not the first time he had cried before a jury at Teesside Crown Court.

Whether he was expecting the verdict or not, he would have had every reason to believe he could walk free, just as he did 16 months ago when he was cleared of attempting to rape a 23-year-old woman in Tow Law, County Durham.

Back then, his tears had been of gratitude as he thanked over and over again the seven men and five women who had preferred his version of events to that of the main prosecution witness who, even police admitted, had not been convincing in court.

Until they reached their very different conclusions, neither jury could know of Ellison's history of violence and attacks upon women stretching back many years.

They could not be told of his first conviction for rape at an Army court martial in April 1990, which was subsequently quashed on appeal.

They did not know he had stripped the clothes from a girl under 16 years of age in a Plymouth hotel, in 1998, and tried to have sex with her against her will.

To Ellison, a fairly heavy drinker by his barrister's admission, alcohol often led to trouble.

Even when he celebrated a £65,000 payout from the Army as compensation for his wrongful conviction, drinking led to violence and he assaulted a 19-year-old girl, who claimed she was hit three times.

On that occasion, his solicitor blamed Ellison's Army experiences for his behaviour, claiming he had been "let down" by his regiment.

The distress and lack of counselling had left a legacy of bitterness, frustration and anger, defence lawyer David Harris told magistrates at Bishop Auckland.

And his client's "explosive" character was partly a result of the severe post-traumatic stress he had suffered following his experiences in the Army prison system, he said.

The detective in charge of the latest investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Bruce Turnbull, is convinced that Ellison has presented a real risk to those around him, especially when he has had a drink.

He said: "There is a kind of arrogance about him and it has culminated in this.

"We are pleased that we have completed a complex and difficult inquiry and that the jury has seen that he was guilty.

"It has been a difficult case, but we are sure that we have the right outcome."

Yesterday, people who know Ellison in Tow Law, where he is a regular in pubs and shops, were not surprised by the verdict.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said she believed justice had been done. She said: "There has to be some truth in it when he keeps appearing in court.