Couple sent to prison for raping woman

Anthony Preston, 22, and Nicole Rickatson, 27, were convicted of rape in February

A couple who pinned a woman to the floor and raped her have been jailed.

Anthony Preston, 22, and Nicole Rickatson, 27, "took advantage" of the woman's trust when they assaulted her in December 2023 for "their own sexual gratification", Humberside Police said.

The pair, of Allendale, Hull, were convicted of rape at Hull Crown Court in February following a 10-day trial. Preston was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

During a sentencing hearing earlier, Preston was sent to prison for seven years and six months, while Rickatson was given a six-year term.

Following the attack, Preston tried "to cover up their sexual deviancy" by removing evidence from a bedroom, but it was later recovered by officers, the force said.

Following their convictions, Det Con Thomas Birkenhead said the pair had "refused to admit their crimes" and instead made the woman "relive the ordeal all over again by subjecting her to a trial".

He commended the woman's "bravery and strength in coming forward" and said the verdict did not "take away the continued trauma she must endure".

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