May 2023

‘Dangerous’ sex attacker who strangled, raped and force-fed woman pasta is sentenced to 25 years

A violent rapist who forced his way into a woman’s home when she opened the door has been handed a 25-year sentence.

Brute James Walton, 32, dragged his victim into her living room, before attacking her and strangling her.

In an ordeal lasting over 12 hours, he raped her three times and later tried to intimidate her into stopping the police case against him.

Walton had only been out of prison for a matter of months when he attacked his third female victim.

Teesside Crown Court heard the woman, who broke down in tears as she read out her victim statement on Monday, thought she was going to die in the attack.

After standing trial, Walton was convicted of:

• three rapes,

  Assault occasioning actual bodily harm,

  False imprisonment,

  Harassment

  Witness intimidation.

The court heard that after getting into the woman’s home, he put her in a “choke hold” which left her limp.

After dragging her into her living room, he slapped her across her face so hard that she “could only see black,” as she fell to the floor and blood poured from her busted lip.

The woman thought Walton would kill her before he raped her three times, the court heard.

Jurors also heard how he wouldn’t let the woman leave her home for over 12 hours during the ordeal.

Giving evidence at the trial, the victim recalled: “I saw black and stars. There was blood all over my floor when I opened my eyes again. I had a pain in my skull like someone was rattling my brain around in my head.”

But Walton made her clean up the blood and force-fed her pasta, when he was eating and she didn’t want anything. He later tried to pressure her into dropping the case against him.

During the trial, he claimed the woman had wanted to have sex with him, and that she “begged him to stay”.

The court heard that Walton has previously been violent towards two other women; and that he was released from a five-and-a-half year sentence last year. He then went onto attack his latest victim.

Walton, who appeared in court on video link from prison, shook his head as the judge told him: “You have a history of violence and dominating behaviour towards women. You put your hands around her neck. You slapped her around her face. You made her clean up the blood saying: ‘That’s it, I’m going to jail. I might as well just slit your face up.’

“She wasn’t allowed to leave her house. You raped her three times.

“It’s necessary to protect women from serious harm by you. I have concluded that you are a dangerous man, and I shall impose an extended sentence.”

The judge handed Walton, of Ashling Way in Middlesbrough, a 19-year prison term, with an extended licence period of six-years.

He is eligible for release after serving two-thirds of his jail term, but can be called back to prison to serve the full 25-years, if he breaches the terms of his licence after he is released.

He will be subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.