Women 'ashamed' by Match.com serial rapist Jason Lawrance

  • Published
Jason LawranceImage source, Derbyshire Police
Image caption,

The women described Jason Lawrance as "strong" and using his weight to pin them down

Two women allegedly attacked by a serial rapist they met on Match.com said they stayed quiet as they felt "ashamed" and "stupid", a court heard.

Jason Lawrance was convicted of raping and assaulting women he met through the dating site.

He faces charges relating to six more women at Nottingham Crown Court.

Lawrance, 54, formerly of Liphook, Hampshire, denies seven counts of rape, one of sexual assault, and assault by penetration.

The jury at Nottingham Crown Court was shown video recordings of police interviews from three women, who described meeting Lawrance.

'Very pushy'

They allege being attacked in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire in 2011 and 2012, and came forward after seeing a news report in 2016.

Speaking about their first meeting, one of the women, aged 48, said Lawrance texted her one day, saying he was at a building site in the area and "was very pushy" about using her toilet.

She said he "forced" himself on her on her sofa and raped her. He then showered before leaving.

"I said, 'No, I don't want this', and he said, 'Shut up, it's going to happen anyway'," the woman said.

"I felt really ashamed. I felt stupid I had let a stranger in my house."

'Kiss and cuddle'

A second woman told police she met Lawrance for three dates before inviting him to her house.

The 52-year-old said Lawrance was "insistent" on going upstairs "for a kiss and a cuddle", but she refused.

Then, when she went upstairs, she said he followed her, pushing her on to the bed before raping her.

"I always thought I was strong but I couldn't budge him. He was like a deadweight," she said.

"He left very soon afterwards as if it was all quite normal. It seemed as if he thought it was all OK.

"I told myself it was silly of me to let him into my house so it was partly my fault," she said.

'Full weight'

The jury also heard from a woman who said Lawrance pinned her down in his car after a date in Leicestershire.

"He put his full weight on to me. I was completely and utterly overwhelmed," she said.

"I was petrified. I thought I was going to get raped but I think because I was on my period he didn't."

The 53-year-old said she eventually got out of his car and ran away barefoot, but did not report the incident.

The trial continues.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, external, Twitter, external, or Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk, external.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.