A RAPE victim has spoken of her “dark days” during which she has struggled to cope in the wake of the attack and other sexual assaults.

Described as a “vulnerable” victim due to health issues, the woman was outlining the impact of the offences in statements prepared for Durham Crown Court prior to the sentencing of her assailant, Paul Michael Walker.

The 33-year-old defendant, who has no previous offences on his record, admitted rape and two counts of sexual assault, one of them covering three further incidents, at a plea hearing at the court earlier this month.

Walker, formerly from County Durham, but recently living at an address in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, returned to the court for sentence following preparation of a background report by the Probation Service.

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said after the woman reported the incidents to a crisis worker, a formalised complaint was made to police.

Knowing police wanted to speak to him in connection with the complaint, Walker initially remained “at large”, but then confided in a friend, who accompanied him to a police station.

When interviewed by police he made no reply to questions, only tendering his guilty pleas on October 6.

Mr Perks read from the statements of Walker’s victim, in which she outlined the negative effect the offences have had on her, only recently starting to get her life back on track with the help of medication and counselling, having moved away from where she was living.

Duncan McReddie, mitigating, said Walker was acting on legal advice from his lawyers at the time he underwent his police interview and has, in effect, “accepted his guilt from the beginning”.

“He regrets it and is sorry. These are not self-serving words on the point of sentence.”

Mr McReddie said, with the benefit of hindsight, Walker realises his attitude to sexual matters was, “distorted and unpleasant”.

Judge James Adkin told Walker his actions were “disrespectful and dehumanising” and the ongoing effect on the victim was, “a serious aggravating feature”.

Imposing a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, Judge Adkin also made a lifetime restraining order forbidding Walker from contacting the victim.

He was also made subject of registration as a sex offender, for life.