A man raped two women one of which was pregnant.
Laurence Patrick Leavy was found guilty at a trial, which finished on Wednesday, December 13, of multiple counts of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour. Chester Crown Court heard the 43-year-old had been charming when he first met his victims.
However, one of them reported he dramatically changed and become abusive. She reported it to police in May 2021, after being regularly verbally belittled and physically assaulted.
On one occasion she described him losing his temper in the car. He pulled over and dragged her from the vehicle, throwing her into a field and driving away, leaving her there. She was also forced to partake in sexual acts which she did not consent to and was raped.
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When this victim reported what had happened to police, officers sought another potential witness to his abuse. A second victim reported being abused by Leavy, of Cledford Lane, Middlewich.
She said she was verbally abused, making her feel very insecure. Leavy also refused to work and caused her immense financial pressure. The victim reported Leavy would force her to have sex on demand. He had also assaulted and raped her multiple times, including while she was pregnant.
He was sentenced to 18 years, plus six years extended licence, for multiple counts of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour. In addition to his prison sentence, Leavy was also handed lifetime restraining orders against the victims and ordered to sign the sex offender register for life.
Following the sentencing Detective Sergeant Helen Harrison said: "Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to the bravery and commitment the victims have shown throughout this investigation, including going through the stress of a trial. While no sentence will ever be able to make them forget what happened to them, I hope the fact this dangerous and abusive bully is facing a considerable amount of time behind bars, will provide them with some closure.
"Leavy was manipulative in his offending; he drew them in with his charming behaviour so they began to trust him, before starting to exploit their vulnerabilities and subject them to horrific abuse. I am thankful that the jury has seen his true colours, and he has been handed a lengthy sentence."
Judge Berkson told Leavy during sentencing: "You lacked any insight or remorse for your behaviour and you controlled every aspect of their lives. Nobody should ever have to experience what the victims have been through and I would encourage other victims of controlling and coercive behaviour and sexual abuse to come forward.
"We take all offences of this nature extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority."
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