A brutal rapist who still denies his crimes has failed in an Appeal Court bid for freedom.

Reece Whitehead, 21, of Scar Lane, Milnsbridge, was convicted of five counts of rape at Leeds Crown Court on July 29 last year.

He admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on April 18.

Whitehead, who repeatedly beat and raped his victim, was sentenced to 13 years’ detention in a young offenders’ institution.

Richard Canning, for Whitehead, challenged the convictions at London’s Appeal Court, claiming Whitehead was deprived of a crucial piece of forensic evidence going before the jury and that jurors should also have been given details of allegedly false previous complaints of rape and sexual assault made by the victim.

He said the trial judge’s decision to keep that evidence from the jury meant Whitehead ‘did not receive a fair trial.’

Mr Canning said: “The verdicts may very well have been different and this young appellant may not be serving such a long sentence for offences he maintains he did not commit.”

Judge Clement Goldstone QC said the trial judge had given ‘clear and detailed’ reasons for ruling out the disputed evidence, saying: “There is no merit in this renewed application which is accordingly dismissed.”