Man who raped mum in front of her young son jailed

Christopher Croasdale, of Cheshire Court, Buckshaw Village, Chorley, had sent his victim text messages before attacking her in her own home.

The 26-year-old dad pleaded guilty to a charge of rape after Preston Crown Court heard he had sent the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, letters of apology.

Croasdale, dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans - carried a red carrier bag into the dock.

His victim and her family were present in court as he was sentenced to five years and four months by Judge Recorder Ainsworth.

Prosecuting, Charlie Brown said: “On the night in question, he started to message the woman via Whats App, the messages being of a sexual nature of what he would like to do.

“She replied to the effect that she was not interested.”

Later, the court heard, Croasdale walked into his victim’s bedroom, pulled her bedsheets off and attacked her despite her pleas.

At one point her little boy came into the room and she tried to comfort him while the attack took place.

Throughout the rape she was telling Croasdale to stop.

Croasdale, who suffers from ADHD, later apologised to the woman and said he “couldn’t stop.”

He admitted his actions during a police interview when he was arrested a few weeks later.

Mr Brown said the messages had suggested a degree of planning and that the matter was aggravated by the child’s presence.

Defending, Chris Hudson said due to his ADHD, it was possible that although Croasdale knew what he was doing, he may not have considered the gravity and “devastating consequences” of his actions on the woman.