Life sentence for internet rapist who attacked South Tyneside woman

The woman was one of three victims of Lee Savage in different areas of northern England and southern Scotland.

Carlisle Crown Court heard how 25-year-old Savage, from Penrith, Cumbria, met each of his three victims through the Plenty of Fish online dating forum.

“The evidence shows him to be a persuasive and manipulative man as well as a violent sexual predator,” said prosecutor Tim Evans. “It was, the Crown say, a planned and persistent rape campaign.”

One women told how Savage pounced after travelling to her home in South Tyneside.

“Throughout she was repeatedly telling him to stop,” said Mr Evans. “And the defendant’s reaction to all this? Rather chillingly in the immediate aftermath of it his reaction was to snigger.”

A second woman, from Dumfries and Galloway, was raped and sexually assaulted by Savage after they drove to a remote and secluded location near his and a third woman was attacked in Savage’s home.

In a victim impact statement, the South Tyhneside woman said: “Lee Savage has ruined a lot of the last few years of my life. Because of what he has done I am often upset.”

The court heard her mental health had been affected, and that there were times when she sat and cried when she reflected on Savage’s offending.

Savage initially denied his shocking offending before belatedly admitting 10 separate crimes.

These were the rapes of all three women and a string of degrading sex assaults on two of his victims.

Judge James Adkin told him: “In my view, you present a clear and imminent danger to young women of causing serious harm by virtue of your disposition towards the rape, humiliation and degradation of your sexual partners.”

Judge Adkin also said: “There are in this case, a multiplicity of victims, demonstrating a pattern of offending.”

And the judge added: “You are, in my judgement, a sexual sadist.”

Savage, who must sign the sex offenders’ register for life, was told he must serve a minimum of 11 years in prison before he can apply for parole.”