Rapist jailed for nine years after subjecting woman to awful ordeal

Teenager Corless subjected the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to a three-and-a-half hour ordeal as he tied her up and raped her.

Now the 19-year-old has been jailed for nine years at Portsmouth Crown Court and put on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Investigating officer Det Con Rebecca Brown told of the victim’s relief after Corless was caged and that she will no longer need to feel scared.

Det Con Brown said: ‘The victim doesn’t need to be scared any more, because the sentence imposed allows her to carry on with her life safe in the knowledge that justice has been served.’

At the trial jurors saw a video recording from the victim telling police that she had opened the door with a knife behind her back after seeing Corless knocking.

When he saw the knife an argument started and he used two dressing gown belts to tie up the victim.

She said: ‘I was screaming, “You don’t want to do this, you don’t want to do this!”.

‘He bent me over and I remember thinking, “I think he is going to rape me, I know he is going to rape me in a minute”.’

She added: ‘I knew he was going to kill me.

‘I remember thinking so clearly in my head, “I am going to die. I know I am going to die”.’

After this, she said Corless stopped the assault and broke down before attempting to kill himself, first crushing prescription pills into water and drinking them and then attempting to hang himself.

She used this opportunity to escape the horror ordeal.

Police had launched a major appeal to find Corless after he was arrested as he broke his bail conditions.

But now he has behind bars starting a long stretch.

Det Con Brown added: ‘The sentence imposed shows just how seriously the courts take this kind of offence.

‘The victim was very brave at court and remained strong throughout a long and difficult cross examination from defence counsel. The conduct of the victim and her family throughout the trial was very dignified.

‘Overwhelming relief is the best way to describe how the victim and her family feel about the fact that Corless has been sentenced.

Corless, of no fixed address but previously of Lee-on-the-Solent, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault at a trial earlier this year.

He was found not guilty of attempting to render someone unconscious, insensible or incapable of resistance with intent.