Match.com rapist Jason Lawrance jailed for two and a half more years By Caroline Lowbridge

BBC News Published duration 3 October 2019

image copyright Leicestershire Police image caption Jason Lawrance was told his minimum term would increase from 12-and-a-half years to 15

A serial rapist who targeted women through online dating will serve an extra two and a half years in prison for offences against five more victims.

Jason Lawrance, 54, raped women he had met through Match.com and Dating Direct between 2009 and 2014.

He was originally given a life sentence in 2016 for attacking seven women.

Publicity about the case caused more women to come forward, and he was then convicted of seven further offences.

At Nottingham Crown Court, Lawrance, previously of Hinckley, Leicestershire, and Liphook, Hampshire, was told his minimum term would increase from 12 and a half years to 15.

media caption Convicted rapist Lawrance was a keen amateur boxer

The further seven convictions include two charges of rape for falsely telling a woman he had undergone a vasectomy.

The judge, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, said the offences formed part of a "campaign of rape".

"Each of the women you raped or otherwise sexually abused were also mature, intelligent individuals who were looking for companionship and intimacy, whilst the only thing that you were looking for was sexual gratification," he said.

In mitigation, David Emanuel QC said while Lawrance still denied the offences, he recognised his behaviour towards women in general at the time of the offences was "disgraceful".

"These proceedings have made him realise that the way he was behaving, his addiction to the dating site and meeting women, was not acceptable," said Mr Emanuel.

'No, I don't want this'

image caption Lawrance drove one of his victims to Bradgate Park in Leicestershire

During his second trial, Lawrance was accused of nine offences against six women.

He was found guilty of one count of rape against a 46-year-old woman he met in 2009. They initially began to have consensual sex in a car after driving to woodland in Leicestershire. Lawrance then took off his belt and put it around her neck. She begged him to stop but he carried on, ignoring her pleas until she eventually burst into tears.

He was found guilty of one count of sexual assault against a 46-year-old woman he met in 2011. He started forcing himself on her in his car, so she begged him to stop and told him she was on her period in order to deter him. The prosecution said he ripped out her tampon, then he stopped, "obviously changing his mind", and she was able to get free from him.

He was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration against a 41-year-old woman he met in 2012. After exchanging mobile numbers, he asked to use the toilet in her house one day, saying that we was working in the area. He then forced himself on her, despite her struggling and saying "No, I don't want this". He told her to "shut up" and that it was "going to happen anyway".

He was found not guilty of raping another woman he met in 2012. After a few dates she invited him to her home one evening. She said he forced himself on her, but he said the sex was consensual.

He was found guilty of one count of rape against a 49-year-old woman he met in 2014, but cleared of one count. After a drink, he drove her to a car park in Bradgate Park in Leicestershire. They started having sex in the back of his van, but she claimed she tried to push him off after telling him she did not want to have sex without a condom. He then started having sex with her again, despite her saying "No, please stop, get off". He claimed the sex was consensual on both occasions.

He was found guilty of two counts of rape against a 42-year-old woman he met in 2014. They had sex twice after Lawrance falsely told her he had undergone a vasectomy. She then became pregnant and had an abortion. The jury found that Lawrance's lie negated the consent she had given to sex.