Rapist tried to get victims to drop charges

‘His actions could have undermined course of justice’

ACONVICTED rapist who tried to get his victims drop the charges has been spared more jail time.

Jack William John O’Shea, of Valley View, Whitworth, contacted the victims to try to put pressure on them to ‘alter police statements’, a court heard.

However his efforts failed and he was found guilty after a five-day trial at Burnley Crown Court of two counts of rape where the victims gave evidence.

He was found not guilty of a separate charge of sexual assault.

The Free Press reported in December how O’Shea, 19, was sentenced to a total of four years at a young offender’s institute for the rape convictions and ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

This week O’Shea appeared via video link before Burnley Crown Court and pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

James Heywood, defending, said O’Shea deserved credit for his early guilty plea and that he is not due to be released from his fouryear sentence until May 2020.

He said: “In any event [the victims] came to court and gave evidence and the defendant was convicted and is now serving his sentence.”

Judge Jonathan Gibson said O’Shea’s actions were ‘very serious’ as they could have ‘undermined the course of justice’.

Sentencing, he said: “As we all know it didn’t because you stood your trial and you were convicted. They gave their evidence as they had originally give it.

“You are relatively young still and you’re much more immature than your years suggest.

“You are already serving for someone of your age and background a substantial custodial sentence of four years.”

Judge Gibson gave O’Shea a nine-month jail sentence which will run concurrently with his four-year sentence.