A GRAYS resdient has been found guilty of rape, assault and false imprisonment.

Blaine Norton, 37, of Falcon Avenue, was convicted at Basildon Crown Court and will return there on 14 August for sentencing.

Over a period of a number of years Norton subjected the victim to violence, culminating in him raping her in January 2017.

On that occasion he forced himself on the victim, and punched her, despite her repeatedly urging him to stop and clearly stating she did not wish to have sex with him.

The case was investigated by Essex Police specially trained sexual abuse detectives.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Richard Clark said: "I want to praise the bravery demonstrated by the victim in this case.

"Blaine Norton has subjected her to a horrendous ordeal and she has shown great courage coming forward and reporting to us what he had put her through.

"He now faces a significant amount of time in prison for his actions."

DC Clark added: "If you've been a victim of sexual abuse, please come forward and report it to us.

"You will be supported by specialist officers who will investigate your case.

"And we're getting justice for more victims. In the last year we solved 130 more rape and sexual assault cases than the year before and in total solved more than 575 cases."

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis). Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.  

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy. For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.  

For more information visit the Synergy Essex website: https://synergyessex.org.uk/