Man jailed after being found guilty of rape

Thomas Osbourne has been sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison

A man has been jailed for almost 10 years after being convicted of raping a woman.

Thomas Osbourne, who also uses the name Solomon Osbourne, was found guilty by majority verdict of two counts of rape against a woman, committed earlier this year.

The 33-year-old, from St George, Bristol, was given a nine-and-a-half year prison sentence at Bristol Crown Court.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "I am not the same person I used to be."

She added: "In terms of how this has impacted me and how I live my life, I am struggling with how to put it into words and find this very difficult.

"I now feel scared of all men. I always used to try to see the good in people and feel as thought that has been taken from me.

"Now, I always worry about what someone's intentions would be and if the same things are going to happen again."

Osbourne will be added to the sex offender's register indefinitely, and his criminal record shared with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

'Horrific crimes'

Det Con Molly Vockings praised the victim's courage after the sentencing on 27 September.

"From the day this investigation began, all the way through sentencing, she has demonstrated her resilience and courageous nature," she said.

"We never underestimated the strength a victim shows to report such heinous offences and support a successful prosecution, especially when faced with a rapist like Osbourne who time after time refused to acknowledge the horrific crimes he committed."