A man who raped a sleeping woman and repeatedly laughed when she told him to stop has been jailed. Christopher Wood raped the woman in June 2022 at her home in East Lancashire. The victim woke to find Wood raping her. When she told him to get off, Wood repeatedly laughed at her, Lancashire Constabulary said.
Arrest and Charge
Wood was arrested the same day and denied the offence. Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Christopher Wood, 35, of Kay Street, Clitheroe, was charged with rape. Wood continued to deny the offence but was found guilty by a jury at Preston Crown Court on Friday, September 11.
Sentencing
Wood returned to the same court on Friday, October 23, where he was jailed for eight years and four months and given a 20-year restraining order.
Police Statement
Det Con Sarah Riley, of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team, said: “Wood took advantage of his victim while she was in an extremely vulnerable state.
“He knew she was not consenting to what he was doing and continued his lies during his police interview and throughout the trial. The jury saw through those lies and delivered a guilty verdict.
“I want to take this opportunity to praise the victim for her bravery throughout this process and for trusting the police to hold the man who raped her to account and put him before the courts.
“I hope the outcome of this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward, confident that you will be believed and listened to, and that we will do everything in our powers to put the perpetrator before the courts.”
If you or somebody you know has been the victim of a sexual offence, report it online via or call 101. If a crime is in progress always call 999.
