Kenneth Crane 43

Description

An abuser with no conscience or remorse locked a woman in his home overnight and raped her.

Kenneth Crane, 43, of Harvey Street in Barry, appeared at Newport Crown Court after being found guilty at trial of two counts each of rape and false imprisonment, plus intentional strangulation and threatening a person with a knife.

The court heard that around September last year, Crane locked a woman inside his Barry home overnight, threatened to rape her, and carried out the threat.

Shortly after, he threatened to gut another woman with a knife, locked her in his home, called her derogatory names while spitting at her, then pushed her against a doorframe and strangled her.

During the trial, Crane was charged with contempt after telling a witness, "Wait ‘til I see you. Wait ‘til I see you, c***. Wait ‘til I see you, bro," and repeatedly insulting the prosecution barrister "in the vilest terms."

He had 45 previous convictions for 73 offences and was under a suspended sentence, said prosecutor Emma Harris.

In mitigation, Clare Wilks noted Crane's prior offending was a "difficult obstacle," but these were his first sexual crimes. "Mr Crane maintains his denials," she said, adding he had mental health issues, was "insecure" and "became fixated on negative thoughts," with "something of a disruptive upbringing."

"You are without a conscious, still less remorse for what you did," said Judge Daniel Williams.

Crane was jailed for 15 years, with a three-year extended licence, must register as a sex offender for life, and is subject to a lifelong restraining order.