'She was afraid she wouldn't get out alive'

TWO sex workers were left terrified after being falsely imprisoned and assaulted by a customer.

- ROB KENNEDY Court reporter

Gareth Henry

Former farm worker and scrapman Gareth Henry used force to prevent the two women leaving in separate incidents in Sunderland a few weeks apart.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was on February 6 this year that Henry arranged to pick up the first victim, an escort, and took her to his caravan, which was parked on a residential street where his mum lived. They both took cocaine and had sex but when she wanted to leave, Henry refused to take her home.

When he realised she had ordered a taxi to pick her up, he refused to let her leave. She sent a text to the Uber driver asking for help and the driver contacted police, although the woman was unaware of that.

Jailing Henry for six years, Judge Amanda Rippon said: “She was afraid she would not get out alive. Her serious distress was perfectly evident when she was rescued from the caravan. She was quite sure she was not going to get out of the caravan alive.