Rapist who claimed he had sleep disorder jailed

Luke Fox, 24, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court

A man who claimed he suffered from a sleep disorder that meant he did not know what he was doing when he raped and attacked two women has been jailed.

Luke Fox, 24, from Merseyside, was studying at Nottingham Trent University when he assaulted two other students in separate incidents.

A jury rejected his defence of parasomnia and found him guilty of rape and assault by penetration.

He was jailed for 10 years at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.

Fox, of Hesketh Road, Southport, was told he would have to spend two thirds of the sentence in prison and remain under supervision for the rest, as well as being placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard he was 20 when he raped his first victim as she slept following a party on the university campus.

Judge Michael Auty KC said the victim was "particularly vulnerable" due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed.

He quoted her saying: "I woke up to him raping me."

'Utterly unforgiveable'

Fox assaulted his second victim about a year later, this time away from the university campus.

She was also asleep at the time and woke up to Fox's hands in her clothing, the judge said.

Fox's first victim said in her impact statement that she continued to suffer with "trust issues", adding: "I panic when people get too close."

She also said she had to take a break from her university studies.

Sentencing Fox, the judge said: "What you did to those woman was utterly unforgiveable."

With regard to Fox's claims of parasomnia, he said: "I find it troubling that it was only post the events concerning [the second victim] that you began to look into that in any seriousness."

He added Fox had shown "grace and dignity to acknowledge the dreadful impact of what your behaviour is likely to have caused" his victims.