THE victim of a repeat rapist told a court she feared she was going to die at his hands as he grabbed her throat during one of her ordeals.

Speaking via a video link from a witness room, relayed to Durham Crown Court, the sobbing woman said she felt blood bulging into her eyes as her attacker, Shaun Elliott Paul, took firm hold of her throat.

The woman said: “I was convinced he would kill me. When he had his hands round my throat I thought I would die.

“My survival instincts kicked in. I will never ever forget this and my fear of death.

“It will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

She told the court she felt if she had not reported his actions, she would not be alive today.

She added: “After what happened to me I was just functioning, I lost contact with lots of my friends and didn’t know how to rebuild my friendships. I became more and more lonely.”

She spoke of the impact of her injuries, including scars caused after he dragged her back into a house when she tried fleeing, naked, during one ordeal.

The woman said she felt she was not believed because she had to give evidence at more than one trial, and felt “in turmoil” reliving the horrific experiences.

Judge Christopher Prince told her, however: “You thought nobody believed you, but you should never have thought that.

“You’re wrong because a jury did, which is clear from their unanimous verdicts.

“You have shown integrity, courage and fortitude in giving evidence and returning to court to give your victim statement.

“I recognise how difficult you found that today.”

Paul was to have been sentenced at today’s (Friday February 6) hearing, after being convicted of four counts of rape following his re-trial, in November.

He was cleared of a further charge but admitted an offence of assault causing actual bodily harm.

The re-trial was held after a jury was discharged when it failed to reach a verdict at the original hearing, in January last year.

But Judge Prince further delayed sentencing the defendant as he said he wanted questions answering about Paul’s perceived “dangerousness”.

The judge requested preparation of a second psychiatric report, to add to one already submitted to the court on behalf of the defence.

Judge Prince also asked for details of alleged incidents of aggression and disorder said to have been committed by Paul in various custodial establishments while on remand awaiting his trials.

Twenty-four-year-old Paul, formerly of Burnip Close, Easington Colliery, was remanded back into custody pending sentence at a date yet to be confirmed, when the second psychiatric report is completed.