Man sentenced for rape and sexual assault

A man who raped and sexually assaulted a woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison with two years on licence.

Anthony Lawton, 34, from Hartlepool raped his victim throughout an eight-year period and sexually assaulted her.

He also controlled the victim’s movements and activities by preventing her from seeing family members, monitoring her social media accounts and confiscating her phone.

The victim bravely reported what happened to the police in 2021 and an investigation was launched by Cleveland Police’s Domestic Abuse Unit (DAU).

Lawton was subsequently arrested and charged with rape, sexual assault and controlling and coercive behaviour. He denied the offences but following a trial, the jury found him guilty.

He appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday 18^th December for sentencing where the judge described it as one of the worst cases he has ever seen.

Lawton was sentenced to 10 years in prison with two years on licence and he was also given an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting the victim.

Investigating officer DC Neale said: “Lawton subjected his victim to years of horrific abuse which no doubt will have a lasting impact on her for the rest of her life.

“It was made even worse by the fact that Lawton denied his crimes and cruelly tried to discredit the victim, causing further trauma and distress.

“I’d like to thank the victim for her bravery and for her unwavering support throughout this extremely difficult process. I hope she can find some peace knowing Lawton is serving a significant prison sentence.”

It’s never too late to report an incident to police; we have specially trained officers who will support you throughout. You can report at any time of day or night online via the Cleveland Police website or by phoning 101.