Man jailed for raping woman who fell asleep on sofa in Chester
Paul Rowlands attacked his victim after meeting her at a friend's house
A man has been jailed for 10 years raping a woman after she'd fallen asleep on a sofa in Chester.
Paul Rowlands, 55, of York Street, Chester, was found guilty of rape and assault by penetration following a trial at Chester Crown Court.
The trial heard that Rowlands met his victim while she was at a friend's house in Chester on Wednesday 3 May 2023.
Later that evening, the victim and a friend attended Rowland's then address on Saint Anne Street in Chester, where the victim fell asleep on the sofa.
She was woken by Rowlands, who grabbed the collar of her coat to drag her onto the floor.
He then raped and sexually assaulted her multiple times over the course of an hour. He also threatened to kill her if she didn't keep quiet.
The victim managed to escape from the house and made her way to Chester Railway Station, where she told two on-duty officers what happened to her.
Rowlands was arrested on Friday 5 May 2023 and during his interview, he said he couldn't remember any sexual activity and specifically denied having anal sex with the victim.
However, forensic enquiries later proved otherwise.
Rowlands was charged and denied the offences, but he was found guilty following a seven-day trial.
Speaking after the verdict earlier this month, Detective Sergeant Chester Ward said:
"Firstly, I would like to commend the victim for the courage and bravery that she has shown throughout this investigation.
"Rowlands is a sexual predator who took advantage of the victim while she was in a vulnerable and disoriented state, and what he subjected her to was nothing short of sickening.
"While the victim will never be able to forget what happened that night, I hope that the verdict reached will provide her with some reassurance and help her to move forward."{n
DS Ward added:
"Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been through and if anything can come from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.
"Cheshire Constabulary takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority."