A man raped a woman while she was sleeping then claimed never to have had any sexual contact with her.
Daniel McDonough attacked his victim, who was then aged 20, in the early hours of the morning, after a night out in 2020. The then 38-year-old had been drinking with her and others in a pub in Liverpool and offered to share a taxi home with her.
McDonough invited her into his home for a drink and they chatted, until the woman said she was tired and went to bed. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said by that stage there had been no physical contact between the two at all.
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However, the woman awoke to find McDonough had pulled her clothing down and was raping her. The CPS said: "She repeatedly begged him to stop and he eventually did." The victim made a complaint to the police and McDonough, 40, of no fixed address but from West Derby, was arrested.
The CPS said: "When McDonough was arrested he denied there had been any sexual contact between him and the victim at all. But DNA evidence was found on the victim's underwear attributable to McDonough and he was charged with the rape."
McDonough continued to deny he had raped the victim and put her through the ordeal of a five-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court. A jury unanimously found him guilty of rape after just three hours of deliberation on Tuesday, April 5.
Judge Gary Woodhall jailed McDonough for seven years and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life. The judge also made an indefinite restraining order, preventing McDonough from having any contact with his victim.
Speaking after the case, Senior Crown Prosecutor Sarah Egan, a specialist lawyer with CPS Mersey-Cheshire Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: "This was a disgusting attack by McDonough, where he breached the victim's trust. This kind of behaviour is inexcusable, will not be tolerated and will be dealt with by the full force of the law.
"I'd like to thank the victim for her courage and strength in coming forward to report this and her ongoing support throughout the court process, as well as the other witnesses who assisted her. Their support is paramount in these cases. I would strongly encourage all victims and witnesses in cases involving any kind of sexual abuse to come forward to report them."
Anyone with information or wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers. Or you can pass information to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Support for victims is also available through the registered charity the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside, who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063 or Rape and Sexual Assault Merseyside (RASA) on 0151 558 1801. In an emergency, always call 999.
Anyone concerned about their own behaviour, or that of a family member, can contact stopitnow.org.uk and get-help.stopitnow.org.uk
