Attacker of terrified woman who awoke to find him trying to rape her in her Burton home is jailed

A man who broke into a woman's home, tried to rape her, forced her to perform a sex act and demanded money has been jailed for 12 and a half years.

The terrified woman was left suffering from nightmares and flashbacks after Jason Hobson tried to rape her in her home in Burton, before forcing her to drive him to a cashpoint so she could withdraw money for him.

Hobson, of no fixed address, appeared at Stafford Crown Court on Wednesday (5 January) to be sentenced.

The court heard how in February, last year, the woman was asleep in her bed when she was woken by a dark figure shining a torch in her face. Hobson tried to rape her and then made her perform a sex act on him.

Prosecutor Rosalind Bell told the court: "She thought it was best to do as she was told. She was scared of being overpowered or worse being killed."

Hobson's DNA was later found on the woman's bed sheets.

In the woman's victim statement, which she bravely read out during the hearing, she said: "To my dying day I will carry with me the memory of me opening my eyes and seeing a stranger shining a torch at me. I remember thinking I was going to die."

She told the court: "This has caused emotional and psychological trauma. It has had a detrimental impact on the quality of my life. I am fearful and anxious and awake at night replaying what happened over and over again. Flashbacks are a common occurrence."

"I am constantly checking all the locks. I have CCTV, lights and the strongest locks in but I still feel vulnerable and afraid" she continued.

The defendant had originally pleaded not guilty to attempted rape, sexual assault, burglary and robbery but on the first day of his trial he admitted all charges.

Jailing Hobson for 12-and-a-half years, Judge Graeme Smith told him: "This woman was undoubtedly terrified. Woken at night would be bad enough for anyone but to endure a sexual assault and attempted rape over a protracted period of time can only add to the terror she felt."

After the attempted rape, Hobson told the woman to wash her sheets and then demanded money. She told him she did not have cash but could withdraw money from her account at a nearby Tesco Express cashpoint.

She was then forced to drive Hobson half a mile along the A511 to the closed store where she withdrew £100.

After Hobson got out of the car to take the money from the victim he instructed her to drive them back to her house. Instead she sped off in her car without him and called the police.

After he was arrested Hobson tried to claim to police he was in some sort of relationship with the woman and any sexual acts were consensual. He admitted to police he had actually broken into her home several years previously, claiming this is when they first met.

The court heard that in the early hours of 2014, Hobson broke into a home and took £200 cash and a mobile phone. The case was not solved until he was arrested last year.

During his interview he told police that when he burgled the house in 2014 the victim had seen him and told him not to go.

He said they started physical relationship and that he visited her six times - although did not know her name when asked by police.

He claimed when she had taken him to the cashpoint and he told her it was "not working out". The victim told police she had never met him before.

The court also heard Hobson had 39 convictions for 72 offences but he had no history of sexual or violent offending.

His defending barrister Catherine O'Reilly told the court that he wanted to apologise to the woman, saying: "The only thing he wants is to say sorry and has written a letter of apology. He takes full responsibility and expresses his remorse, shame and is deeply appalled by his behaviour."

She added: "He was deeply entrenched in the drug culture and this was the downward spiral of his chaotic lifestyle."

In her statement the victim said she forgave Hobson for his actions and hoped that he got the help he needed. She said: "I know I have to forgive this man for what he did. I hope in and out of prison he will get all the help he so desperately needs."

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Martin Ottey, of Staffordshire Police's rape and serious sexual offences unit, said: "I applaud the courage of the victim who supported our investigation which resulted in Hobson being brought to justice. I hope today’s sentence provides some form of closure and comfort."

"My message to anyone who has had a sexual offence committed against them is that your voice will be heard."