A 33-year-old sex attacker, who laughed at his screaming victim as he tried to rape her, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail.
Liam Cronin of Trafalgar Road, Sulgrave, Washington, attempted to rape his victim in the summer of 2017 but failed as she started screaming and crying.
As reporting in the ChronicleLive, those who attended the trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard that Cronin responded to his victim's terror by "laughing at her".
Prosecutor Vince Ward told the court that she had manage to struggle and prevent Cronin from raping her. He added: "Their struggle continued until she screamed and started to cry."
"His response to that was to laugh at her so she screamed louder and eventually he stopped and apologised."
Following the failed rape, Cronin carried out a sexual act upon himself, the court heard.
In a statement, the victim told the court: "I am always looking over my shoulder.
"I don't enjoy summertime anymore. It happened in summer and every summer makes me think about what happened to me.
"My self confidence has totally gone.
"I wonder if I will ever fully recover."
Cronin pleaded guilty to the attempted rape on the day that he was due to face trial. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail by Judge Tim Griffiths.
The judge said: "She had indicated to you clearly she wasn't receptive to your advances and it is her perfect right to say she didn't want to engage in sexual activity and you should have followed her wishes, as she stated them to be.
"She became very distressed, understandably and she screamed and cried.
"You laughed at her."
Lee Fish, the defending lawyer at the trial, argued that Liam Cronin had never committed any serious offences prior to this event, had been in no trouble since, and had no other convictions relating to women.
Mr Fish also revealed that Cronin, who must now sign the sex offenders register for life, "recognises the harm he has caused" but is struggling to accept the crime that he has committed.
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