A rapist was desperate enough to drug a woman for the second time as she quickly “took matters into her own hands”. Kevin Knox had already spiked his victim’s drink with sleeping tablets an hour earlier.
A court heard how he then took advantage of the woman, by sexually abusing her while she lay powerless to resist in her own bed. But when the 33-year-old tried the same sick trick again months later, his victim acted quickly to stop him.
In what was described in court as a “strange turn of events”, the woman switched her drink to Knox’s. As a result the rapist “basically drugged himself”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
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A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that Knox raped the woman in August last year before returning to her flat for a second time three months later, leading to an incident in which he broke into the address and he stole a kitchen knife. Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, described the “strange circumstances of the case”, with the victim “supplementing his income” by working as an escort at the time.
Knox, from Maplewood in Kirkby, Merseyside, first met her as a “prospective client” through the website AdultWork. It was said that they had “reached an arrangement that he would pay her a sum of money in compensation for sex”, namely £1,750, but “he had no intention of paying it”.
Instead he spiked the woman’s vodka drink with zopiclone, a sleeping tablet which was later found in his system, leaving her “feeling extremely groggy” and “incapacitating her” before raping her in her bed herself. Knox then allegedly stole her bank cards before leaving, although he was later cleared of charges in this regard.
Then, in November, he contacted her again “asking if he could pay for her services” using a different phone number and the fake name “Danny”. However, she recognized that he was attending her flat again afterwards and “decided to take matters into her own hands”.
Knox poured two more drinks, but she moved her glasses without him knowing. He then “began to show signs that he had taken drugs” and the woman later dropped him off at a petrol station.
However, he returned to her now empty flat and broke a window to get in before stealing a knife from the kitchen. Police then attended the scene and found Knox “walking around in a community area” and “walking around” with the weapon.
Zopiclone was similarly found in his system after his arrest. Traces of his semen were also detected during swabs taken from the complainant after the first incident.
Mr Roberts told jurors: “The crown says that in August he went round to an escort’s flat with the intention of having sex, whether she liked it or not and whether he could pay or not The crown says he saw her as an easy contact and that, a few months later, he went around to the same address with the intention of doing the same.
“This time, in a strange turn of events, he ended up basically drugging himself. Then, he broke into her house and armed himself with a knife – thank God, the police intervened before he could use it.”
Robert Wyn Jones, appearing for the prosecution yesterday, told the court that Knox had a total of four convictions for eight offenses including burglary, but none for sexual offences. However, he was made subject to a sexual risk order in 2016 for “sexually exploitative behavior towards adolescents and young females” and his “inappropriate sexual interests”.
Simon Christie, defending, told the court: “It is worth noting that his previous convictions relate to a variety of matters. His only custodial sentence was in September 2016, when he received four months on completely different.
“He’s in a completely different position now, facing a substantial prison sentence, with very little experience of the system. These are serious matters. He’s educated. He’s been a bar and warehouse worker.
“He has significant family support. His parents are in court today, and other people have given evidence speaking out for the defendant – a respectable family man, a hard worker and someone people can rely on.
“The defendant is in poor health. He has depression, operated ulcers, Bell’s palsy and kidney stones.”
Knox was found guilty of three counts of rape and one count of burglary by a jury. He was jailed for 12 years, of which he must serve two-thirds before being eligible for release, with a further two years on licence.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: “In my judgement, you never intended to pay her anything. You put the drink in the way she alleged and used violence on her to have sex to have with her.
“She couldn’t fight you. She wanted to push you away, but you ripped off her shorts and were determined to have intercourse.
“Testimonials say you are a great person and how honest, trustworthy and helpful you are in your community. From my observations, I don’t think you are honest, helpful or trustworthy.”
Knox was also given an indefinite restraining order. He will have to sign the sex offenders register for life.