The victim has been left traumatised and haunted by the violent attack and has flashbacks of the “evil look” in his eyes while he was strangling her
Alex Owers was jailed for 21 years(Image: Hull Live)
A heavy-drinking bully who raped and brutally attacked a frightened woman during a “horrific” three-hour ordeal has been jailed for 21 years after being branded a dangerous offender. Aggressive and power-crazed Alex Owers was “almost torturing her” during the “utterly terrifying experience” and he had “a clear intention to hurt her as much as possible”.
The woman thought that she was going to die during the attack and she had been left “traumatised” and haunted by the violent ordeal. She still had nightmares and saw his face and the “evil look” in his eyes while he was strangling her, a court heard.
Owers, 46, of Kingston Road, Willerby, but already in custody on remand, denied a series of offences including rape, assault causing actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation and intentional suffocation but he was convicted by a jury at Grimsby Crown Court after a retrial. There had been an earlier trial at Hull Crown Court.
Owers was convicted at the Hull trial in February last year of separate offences of affray and possessing a knife on September 22, 2023. He admitted another separate offence of making two malicious voicemail telephone calls to an ex-girlfriend on April 26, 2024.
Judge Richard Woolfall told a sentencing hearing at Grimsby Crown Court that Owers started to choke the woman during the violent attack on her and she was gasping for air. “She thought she was going to die,” said Judge Woolfall.
Owers was “almost torturing her” and he told her that he “might as well kill her”. He suffocated her with a pillow. “You told her to get on the bed or you would kill her,” said Judge Woolfall.
“You put your weight on her so she could not breathe and then you ripped off her lower clothing.” Owers raped the woman and put a pillow over her head again.
“This was about power, what you wanted, degradation and a clear intention to hurt her as much as possible, psychologically at the very least,” said Judge Woolfall. “She was looking to jump off the balcony because she was terrified of you.
“The ordeal that you subjected her to was an utterly terrifying experience, one that haunts her to this day, understandably,” said Judge Woolfall. “You became very angry. The ordeal was extensive.
“She has nightmares, depression and anxiety. She still sees your face, the look in your eyes as you were strangling her.”
Judge Woolfall told the court: “This went from nothing to rape. She wasn’t agreeing to any of it. He attacked her and violently choked her, strangled her and raped her.
“There is no suggestion that she was agreeing to a moment of it. He knew how badly he was behaving. This was repeated behaviour and he knew that, when he drinks, he behaves very badly,” said the Judge.
“He has ruined his life and many other lives through drink.” Judge Woolfall told Owers: “You have had a very real problem with alcohol.
“You have a history of offending while in drink. It makes you unpredictable. You knew what you were doing but you carried on.”
The woman said in a statement that she felt “traumatised” by what happened and that her “life almost ended”. She was held against her will for “three hours of pure suffering” during the attack.
“It haunts me to this day and will forever,” she said. It was a “horrific night” and she often suffered panic attacks. “I find it a real challenge just to leave my house,” she said.
“For months, I have found it difficult to sleep. I suffer from nightmares. I still fear you.” She had flashbacks of the “evil look” that Owers had in his eyes that night.
Claire Holmes, prosecuting, said that the separate knife-related offences happened when a blood fast response driver went to a house in Willerby Road, west Hull. Owers was aggressive towards another man, who was scared.
He had a silver four-inch kitchen knife with him. The police were alerted and he was found with the knife. The driver was worried that he would not see his family or his son again.
In another incident, Owers sent two voicemail messages to an ex-girlfriend. His threats included him shouting: “I will f***ing kill you. I will f***ing kill you. I f***ing will. I f***ing hate you.”
The woman felt anxious, threatened and nervous. She feared for her safety and she did not feel safe in her own home. She stayed at a different address.
Owers had convictions for 19 previous offences, including assaulting police, assault and drink-driving. During one incident, he forced a parking ticket into a traffic warden’s mouth before assaulting a police officer who arrested him.
He was given a 15-month suspended prison sentence in October 2019 for wounding, involving a fight at a hotel, and he was jailed in April 2020 for 10 months for offences including assault, assaulting an emergency worker, criminal damage and drink-driving.
Howard Godfrey KC, mitigating, said: “This is really all down to excess alcohol. This is all down to a man who, once he starts drinking, really loses control.
“He comes from a completely respectable family. He has worked a great deal overseas as a welder and he came to rely on alcohol as a support, frankly, far too much.
“When he does, his personality changes. That explains the conduct in relation to the rape cases. Because of his alcohol consumption, he didn’t stop when he was asked to.
“In drink, he is a different man. He has denied these offences from beginning to end. He has denied rape but has been convicted. He has no previous convictions for sexual violence, although he has a number for violence.”
The knife offence happened because Owers had been travelling for his work and he often came back from overseas with a bag containing knives and forks. The knife was for cutting meat that he had packed up, he claimed.
Owers had been in custody since January 8 last year. “He is not a career criminal,” said Mr Godfrey. “He is a man who loses control when he has drunk too much of whatever it is.”
Owers will be on extended licence of six years after his eventual release from custody. He will not be eligible to be considered for possible release until he has served at least 14 years.
He will have to register as a sex offender for life and he was given an indefinite restraining order.
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