Man jailed for 10 years for Catterall rape

A man who raped and tried to strangle a woman has been jailed for 10 years at Preston Crown Court today (Thursday 6 May).

Connor Fearon lured the vulnerable woman to a deserted bridleway in the early hours of the morning of 19 December 2020 in Catterall.

Fearon then launched a sustained and violent physical attack on the woman, 21, during which he told her that she deserved to die, Fearon produced a rope and put it around the woman’s neck strangling her before raping her.

Neighbours heard the woman’s screams and called police who rushed to the area to find her severely traumatised. Fearon had made off but was subsequently identified and arrested.

A length of rope was recovered at the scene along with yellow cable ties. A search was carried out at Fearon’s address and similar rope and cable ties recovered from a shed at his home address.

Fearon, 25 years old, admitted charges of rape, sexual assault by penetration and choke, suffocate or strangle with intent to commit an indictable offence.

A length of rope was also found on the scene

Det Sgt Mark Nelson, of Lancaster CID, said: ”This must have been an absolutely terrifying and traumatic experience for the victim and I can only dread to think what may have happened had her screams not been heard”.

“Connor Fearon is clearly a dangerous man and I am satisfied that today’s sentence reflects the gravity of the offending and will protect the public for some time to come.”

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