Blackpool man who raped Preston woman is jailed

Matthew Marcus Terry, 24, of Taylor Terrace, Blackpool, was convicted of committing attacks in Preston and Manchester in 2018 and will have to sign the Sex Offender's Register for life.

The women cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Judge Simon Medland QC told him he was" sexually demanding" especially when drunk, and that the impact on the women has been "significant" in terms of their relationships and mental health.

He added: "You exhibited boarish drunken behaviour to her which ended with you raping her...when it would have been obvious to you, if you had stopped to consider her feelings and her as a person, that she did not want to have sex with you at all.

"It is a feature of this case that you did not consider her wishes or her integrity as a person at all."

He said he accepted the consequences of the convictions would be with him for a long time but added: "So also will the effect of your offending remain with your victims."

Terry raped the first woman at an address in the Ashton area of Preston, and a second time at a house party in August 2018, in which he allegedly locked her in a bedroom.

In a victim personal statement she described the impact upon her, including depressive episodes and anxiety attacks leaving her shaking and crying.

The court heard allegations from a second woman came to light after she disclosed what had happened.

He had sexually assaulted her at a Preston flat - while her boyfriend was in another room - after a night out in the Switch nightclub.

The court heard she was tired and had gone to lie down but was woken by the presence of him in bed next to her kissing her and groping her, before her boyfriend came into the room and had an altercation with him.

Terry gave no comment interviews to the police and continues to deny the charges.

During the trial prosecutor David Pojur branded him a "man who takes sexual gratification from women when he wants it", adding: "He prioritises his lust for sexual adventure over those womens' rights to refuse his advances.

Defending, Beverly Hackett said: " He understands there is nothing I can say on his behalf which would seek to go behind the verdicts of the jury. It perhaps doesn't surprise the court too much that in the pre sentence report he has continued to deny the offences and so a large part of the assessment process by probation has been in denial.

"He has lost his good character. These offences carry an unpleasant tag, That label will be with him for the rest of his life because the notification requirements and orders will be lengthy and so the impact of the convictions are significant.

"He has never experienced custody before. He is unfortunately for him experiencing custody at the worst possible time of the pandemic.

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