A man has been jailed for raping a woman more than 15 years ago.

Jonathan Richard Abdy from Holmfirth was convicted by a jury at Leeds Crown Court last month of the offence in 2001 which was not reported by the complainant at the time.

Gillian Batts, representing Abdy, said he was a very different person now to the young man he was then.

She said references indicated he had given a great deal to his community and to charitable work. The offence had been a long time ago and his partner found it difficult to reconcile the man she knew with the offence. She was standing by him.

Abdy, 42, of Swan Bank Court, Swan Bank Lane, Holmfirth was jailed for four and a half years.

Judge Guy Kearl QC said the offence happened when the woman, who knew Abdy well, did not want to have sex with him.

“You chose to force yourself upon her without her consent,” the judge said.

“You did that by pinning her arms down and got on top of her. She told you she did not want you to do that but you insisted and used a certain amount of force to impose yourself up her.”

Leeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

She had subsequently tried to put that behind her and had not reported it at the time but from her evidence it had clearly had a lasting psychological effect on her life.

He said references described Abdy in 2001 as being immature and self-centred.

“I accept you have changed substantially since,” said Judge Kearl.

He had taken into account the length of time since the offence and that it was a single incident but there had to be a jail term.

“Rape is rape,” Judge Kearl told him. “It can be just as traumatic to be raped by someone you know and trust as by a stranger.”