Home invasion sex attacker jailed for violent assault of woman in her bed

A dangerous attacker who subjected a Durham woman to a violent rape attempt in her own home has been sentenced today at Durham Crown Court.

Jonathan Andrew Cummings, 34, of Cookson Street, Chester-Le-Street was jailed for twelve years after pleading guilty to four charges relating to the attempted rape of the woman in April of this year.

The court heard how the victim of the attack had been watching videos in her bed following a night out with friends, when her bedroom door was suddenly opened by a balaclava-clad man.  When she challenged him, he told her in expletive terms that he was going to have sex with her, before leaping on the bed and strangling her.

After escaping his grip, she ran to the door but was violently pulled back towards the bed by her chest.  Following a struggle, she broke free again but was again attacked by Cummings who strangled her for a second time.  Despite feeling like she was going to lose consciousness she eventually managed to escape his grip again, before fleeing from the property and hiding behind a nearby car.  

Claire Wright, Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS North East’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “Jonathan Cummings is a dangerous man, which is clearly illustrated by the chilling nature of this attack and the degree of planning that he employed to carry it out.

“Prior to the attack, Cummings removed the license plate of his vehicle and turned his phone off as he travelled from Chester-Le-Street to Durham, which then remained off until after he had fled the scene of his crimes. Following the attack, he also hid his van before making his way home in a taxi.

“I would like to acknowledge the excellent investigation on the part of Durham Constabulary, with whom the Crown Prosecution Service worked from the early stages to build a robust case against Cummings. It is testament to the quality of their investigation that they were able to identify Cummings as a suspect and secure key evidence, despite the measures he took to avoid detection.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim in this case, whose terrifying experiences at Cummings’ hands continues caused her considerable trauma, which she continues to deal with. We sincerely hope that the significant sentence passed on her attacker today provides some measure of comfort to her.”

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