Couple locked up for 'horrific sexual attack' on a terrified young woman

'SMILING' WOMAN WATCHED AS BOYFRIEND PINNED DOWN VICTIM AND RAPED HER

- By MARK NAYLOR

A DEPRAVED couple who subjected a terrified young woman to a “horrific sexual attack” - because they were obsessed with having a “thoroughly enjoyable threesome” with her - have both been jailed.

The bullying man and his smiling girlfriend callously raped the woman and used her as a “rag doll” and a “toy” for their “sexual exploits and desires”. They completely ignored her repeated pleas for them to stop and leave her alone and they later claimed that they just wanted to invite her into their “sexual world”. They were both laughing as they “helped themselves to her” during a frightening ordeal of abuse, Hull Crown Court heard.

Anthony Preston, 22, and his fiancee, Nicole Rickatson, 27, both of Allendale, Middleburg Street, east Hull, each denied three offences of rape, three offences of assault by penetration and one offence of perverting the course of justice. They were each convicted by a jury in February of one offence of rape. Preston was also convicted of perverting the course of justice.

At a sentencing hearing, Preston was jailed for seven-and-a-half years and Rickatson was jailed for six years. They must both register as sex offenders for life. They were already in custody on remand and had been since before the start of the trial.

Richard Butters, prosecuting, told the earlier trial that the offences involved Preston and Rickatson in a “threesome” with a 19-year-old woman. They “sexually abused” her without her consent and they “encouraged and assisted each other” in sexual acts.

“They did what they wanted,” said Mr Butters. “They helped themselves to her. They treated her, in effect, like a rag doll, sexually abusing her.”

Preston and Rickatson previously said: “Let's have a threesome” but the woman, now 20, thought that it was a joke. “Preston started to grab at her,” said Mr Butters.