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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Geoffrey Bennett

Rapist jailed over attack on woman at pub

A Kingswood man locked a woman in a Bristol pub, made her strip and raped her.

Shaun Crowley lured his victim to the premises and held a baseball bat to her face - utterly terrifying her.

Bristol Crown Court heard he had plied her with vodka before the attack.

Crowley, 48, of Charlton Road, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, two sexual assaults and rape in May.

Judge Michael Longman jailed him for nine and a half years.

He told Crowley: "You subjected her to a prolonged ordeal in which you locked her in, preventing her from leaving.

"You took her phone.

"You threatened her with a baseball bat and a craft knife.

"You threatened to shave off her hair with clippers.

"You ordered her to take off her clothes.

"You set out to rape and abuse her and that is what you did."

James Haskell, prosecuting, said Crowley raped the woman, who then persuaded him to hand her back her phone.

She was then able to message her partner for help, the court heard.

When he arrived on the scene he found the pub locked up, with a fruit machine jamming one entrance.

But he managed to get in, found Crowley and then heard his semi-naked partner scream "Get me out, help me!"

Mr Haskell said: "There was a struggle.

"(The woman) ran outside and was sitting on the floor outside, crying.

"The defendant was outside, he was acting aggressively, and the victim's partner punched him."

The court heard the highly-distressed woman went to the aid of a neighbour.

Police forced entry into the pub, where Crowley had locked himself in a bedroom and had appeared to have taken an overdose.

When interviewed he declined to answer questions but gave a prepared statement saying he and the woman had consensual sex instigated by her.

The woman made a statement describing the impact on her, and that she was now always looking over her shoulder.

Anna Midgley, defending, referred to her client's offences as "appalling", but he had admitted them without need for a trial.

She said Crowley had a different side to him, saying he was described as kind and helpful to friends.

She conceded: "Whatever his motivation the effect on his victim was profound."

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