Laughing rapist paid man to have sex with woman before horror assault - 'Do what you want'

A vile rapist who paid another man to sleep with a woman before sexually assaulting her himself is now on the run. David Morrison, 44, failed to appear in court on Friday, October 24, to hear his sentence.

Upon his arrest, he will face a 10-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault by penetration in August. Teesside Crown Court heard that Morrison, an engineer, was in a hotel room with the victim when he left early in the morning to buy some wine, according to TeessideLive.

Morrison returned later with another man. During the sentencing hearing, Recorder Paul Reid, who presided over the trial, summarised: "You (Morrison) started laughing and said 'I have got a present for you'. You said: 'Do what you want to her, I'm going for a (cigarette) and some wine."

The woman, unaware of Morrison's intentions, had never met the man before and told him not to touch her. The man revealed that Morrison had paid him to sleep with her to satisfy his own perverse fantasy.

Morrison dismissed her concerns, saying: "You're making a mountain out of a mole hill."

He also told the man he might as well leave as she's "not going to do it". After the man left, the woman warned Morrison not to touch or approach her, but he ignored her pleas and raped her.

In a separate incident, Morrison was found guilty of sexually assaulting the woman. The jury convicted him of sexual assault by penetration two months ago.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, read her impact statement in court: "What you did is not just a thing that happened in the past but I carry it with me every single day... it has slowly killed part of me every day since.

"You have turned my home into a prison, my body into something I feared and my mind into a battlefield."

She revealed she was pushed to the "point of despair where I was ready to end my own life.... Every day I wake up and fight for the truth knowing he has not won. I am still here and I am still breathing."

Ian Mullarkey, defending, said the jury acquitted Morrison of two other charges on the indictment. He stated that the 44 year old had no previous convictions and was an "accomplished engineer" with a solid work record.

Mr Mullarkey mentioned that the defendant had a difficult upbringing and suffered neglect. Morrison, from Wilton Castle Lane, received a 10-year prison sentence.

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to attend a previous hearing earlier this month. Recorder Reid stated: "I gave you an opportunity to settle your affairs pending your sentencing hearing. Instead of doing that you have absented yourself. You have prolonged the agony experienced by the complainant."

An indefinite restraining order was issued, prohibiting Morrison from contacting the woman, and he will be required to sign the sex offenders register upon his arrest.