A RAPIST has been convicted of a “distressing” attack where a woman was sexually assaulted with a pair of scissors

Malcolm Mason began swaying in the dock after a jury convicted him of five crimes against a woman in Southend at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

The 50-year-old of Wimborne Road, Southend, had previously denied two counts of rape, assault by penetration and a single count of causing actual bodily harm.

However, following a trial, a jury of six men and women unanimously convicted him of all five counts.

The attack happened between January 11 and 14 last year at an address in Southend.

The court heard during the course of the trial that the victim had been subject to a sexual assault and then rape by Mason.

In excerpts from her statements read out by Recorder David Mayall, the woman said she had been sexually assaulted with scissors, saying: “It was for about five minutes and then he took them out”.

The woman then said Mason raped her.

Mason, going by the name ‘Peter’, had arranged to meet the victim in the Wimborne Road area of Southend on the night of 12 January last year.

When inside an address there, Mason turned on the victim, threatening her with a pair of scissors, telling her to take off her clothes, before then assaulting her and tying her up.

She was left with injuries to her face include a black eye, a bloody nose, and had lost a tooth.

Mason then made her leave the property, forcing her to put her coat over her head so she could not see where she was.

The victim met a friend and police were called.

Mason, who appeared bald dressed in a long-sleeve blue jumper and wearing glasses, showed little emotion when the jury announced their verdicts.

He could be seen shaking his head before bowing it and remaining standing throughout the rest of the hearing.

He began swaying from side to side towards the end as he stood in the dock and the guilty verdict was returned.

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Mason had brought various pieces of luggage with him before the verdict in case of a conviction and a potential prison sentence.

Recorder David Mayall was asked to adjourn the sentencing to a later date to allow for pre-sentence reports to be prepared and then presented to the judge.

Addressing the jury, he said: “I now need to asses whether he is a further risk of offending of this type.

“For those reasons I am not going to sentence him today.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for your obvious care that you have put to this distressing case.”

The jury previously heard evidence from a neighbour, who said he had heard the woman cry “let me out, let me go” from upstairs as he came out of his room and left the building.

Mason, who was remanded in custody, will be sentenced on August 27 at the same court.

The victim has been praised for her courage by police.

Det Sgt Anna Brown, from the Adult Sexual Assault Investigation Team, said: “I want to praise the courage of the victim in this case.

“She was subjected to a horrifying ordeal and made to fear for her life and has show extreme bravery in coming forward.

“She has shown such resilience through what has been a very tough time. She is an incredible lady.

“Malcolm Mason is an extreme danger to society. The level of violence he inflicted, and fear he instilled, is terrifying.

“He now faces a significant amount of time behind bars and woman across Essex are safer for it.”