THE scale of the ordeal suffered by a young woman who was raped by an Army captain - the fiance of one of her closest friends - can be revealed for the first time today.

Daniel Howard, 29, was jailed for seven years last week, and a statement read out by his victim in court lays bare the torment she has suffered in the 18 months since the attack.

Legal restrictions meant the media could not report some of the details of the 25-year-old's impact statement, but now they have been relaxed, they can be revealed in full.

In it, she tells how her boyfriend later took his own life, which she feels was partly as a result of feeling guilt-ridden that he had been unable to help her.

The Northern Echo:

HAPPY COUPLE: Daniel Howard and his wife, April

The Northern Echo: HAPPY COUPLE: Daniel Howard and his wife, April

Royal Army Medical Corps officer Howard raped the woman, one of the best friends of his now-wife April, at the couple's home in Darlington last year.

The terrified victim tried to call her boyfriend after the attack but his phone was switched off, so she rang a neighbour and then a rape crisis line.

Confused and distraught by the attack, she made her way to hospital where medical staff informed the police and Howard was arrested - later concocting a "ludicrous and far-fetched" story to explain how his DNA was found inside her.

Cowardly Howard claimed his victim had found a sex toy he had used weeks earlier which was hidden in a drawer in the room where she was sleeping.

He claimed that she deliberately inseminated herself with the evidence from the implement because she was jealous of the relationship he had with April.

His claims were dismissed by the jury who took just two-and-a-half hours to convict him following a week-long trial at Teesside Crown Court.

April stood by Howard - a graduate from the Sandhurst military academy - and married him in a wedding last month, aware that within weeks he could be jailed.

Her former best friend from their university days is heartbroken at the end of their friendship - but refuses to blame April.

Her statement says: "She has never heard my side of the story until today (at court).

"April was my best friend from Uni. I was meant to be a bridesmaid at her wedding.

"I can't actually believe that she doesn't believe me. A person who I really cared for and who cared for me has been turned against me, as has her family who I always got on with.

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CONVICTED: Daniel Howard's police mugshot 

"I only said something in the first place to try to protect April, I couldn't have stood in church on her wedding day knowing what had happened and that it would most probably happen again.

"I can't believe April is a witness, fighting against me when we always fought together and for each other."

The devastation caused by the rape became even worse when her boyfriend - who was "a rock" following the attack - later took his own life.

The victim, a professional woman, told the court: "He felt partly responsible for what had happened, he had turned his phone off that night so I couldn't get hold of him. He never forgave himself for that.

"He always worried every time I went somewhere and wouldn't sleep if I went out, it put a strain on us.

"He committed suicide a few months after we broke up. Even though there were multiple things contributing to this it had quite an effect on him. He was always my rock and supported me through everything.

"I feel this is partly my fault. The rape made me a nightmare girlfriend in the way I put all of this onto him as well as having to deal with it myself."

She spoke of the continuing battle to recover and her initial fears that she dressed too provocatively on the night she was raped.

Her statement said: "I've had counselling since February 2014 to try to arrange everything in my head in a way I could try to understand things but I don't think I ever will.

"He loves April and April loves him so why this happened I will never know. I blamed myself until I had counselling as I thought the play-suit I wore was too provocative but it wasn't at all, any 24-year-old would have worn it.

"Then I thought maybe I looked too similar to April. We did get called twins once at Uni and I had dyed my hair to be a lot lighter, similar to how April's once was.

"Since then I have dyed my hair darker to try to look less easy. I always enjoyed dressing up, getting ready, doing my hair and make-up but now I have a constant battle in my head 'is it too revealing, am I giving the wrong impression?' I would never have worried before."

The Northern Echo: HAPPY COUPLE: Daniel Howard and his wife, April
HAPPY COUPLE: Daniel Howard and his wife, April

She said the process of going through court left her feeling like she was the one on trial because of Howard's insistence on sticking to his lies.

She said: "It took a lot of strength to go to court and the first day was awful. I was overwhelmed by the reality being presented to me. When I gave evidence I felt like I was on trial, that I was being judged, that I was being accused of being a jealous fantasist and it hurt."

Recorder Andrew Sutcliffe, QC, told Howard: "In the face of overwhelming DNA evidence to the contrary, you continued to deny this ever happened. In my view, this attempt to humiliate and denigrate your victim severely exacerbated the wrong you had already done to her.

"By using this excuse, you have demonstrated no regard for the impact this far-fetched allegation would have on her."