Island man accused of three rapes over ten-year period
Andrew Dorning, of Mitchell Avenue, Ventnor, appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (July 29).
He indicated not guilty pleas to three charges of raping a woman — one at Lowestoft, Suffolk, between January 1 and December 31, 2009, and a further two in Niton, January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019.
He also faced a charge of attempted rape, in Niton, between January 1 and December 31, 2015.
The 44-year-old was bailed to reappear for a plea and trial preparation hearing at the Isle of Wight Crown Court, on September 1.
His bail was conditional, not to enter the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Glasgow Times investigates women's safety in our new series
OVER the next week, the Glasgow Times will be looking at women's safety in Glasgow. Recent government figures show reports of rape and attempted rape in Glasgow has gone up from 243 incidents in 2015 to 494 incidents in 2024/ 2025 showing a 103% rise. The Scottish increase for the same period is 60%. In the same period, reports of sexual assault have gone up from 619 to 800. British Transport Police meanwhile have also reported an increase in incidents of Violence and Intimidation Against Women and Girls (VIAWG). Between January 1 and July 31 2024, there were 47 incidents in Glasgow, while for the same period this year there have been 50 incidents. While this paints a concerning picture, we have spoken to Police Scotland and British Transport Police to put these figures into context and explain the rise, while also finding out what is being done to tackle it. We have also spoken to police about whether there possible is misinformation being spread on social media, creating an idea that Glasgow is less safe for women and girls than it really is. It comes after there was a rise in social media posts earlier this year about women being following in the city, but do police stats support this? We have spoken to Govan Law Centre who have asked Glasgow City Council to reconsider allowing a women-only taxi firm to be licensed while a victim who was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver has spoke to us about why they think one should be allowed. The Glasgow Times has also spoken to a organisations helping women to feel empowered and safe in the city, including one which runs women's only self defence classes.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paedophile's sentencing delayed after CPS fail to complete court order on time
The sentencing of an Isle of Wight paedophile has been delayed after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) failed to prepare a sex offender's order on time. Barry Leigh, of Whitcombe Road in Carisbrooke, appeared before the IW Magistrates' Court on Friday, August 8, for sentencing. The 71-year-old previously admitted distributing indecent photographs of children in Ryde between October 4 and 12, 2023. At the previous hearing, the court heard that Leigh had instigated a conversation with an undercover police officer and sent them two Category C images of children. Recommended reading: Woman 'felt fearful' after harasser left crucifix painting on her doorstep Sentencing delayed a third time for paedophile with 'huge file' of abuse images The last offence Leigh committed was for an entirely dissimilar matter, in which he pretended to be a landowner and duped his victims out of £600,000 in 2017, receiving a six-year prison sentence in return. Prosecutor Rhys Evans said Leigh was due to be sentenced for the indecent images offence, but his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) had not been prepared in time by the CPS. The court heard that Leigh's SHPO will be a 'meaty' order and will help safeguard people and prevent further crime. Without the completed order, which will become active after Leigh's sentencing, it would be impossible to continue the sentencing, Mr Evans said. Magistrates were asked to order the forfeiture and destruction of Leigh's HP Laptop and Apple MacBook. Leigh was granted unconditional bail ahead of his new sentencing date on August 27.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
'My boss raped me': Japanese prosecutor's fight for justice
Very few women in Japan speak out about rape, and Hikari, too, kept quiet for years about her alleged assault by her boss, Osaka's former chief prosecutor. However, Hikari (not her real name) finally dared to take the step, which came at great cost to her career -- she is also a prosecutor -- and her personal life. She does not regret it. "My life has stopped since the assault," Hikari told AFP in an emotional interview. "My husband was crying the other day, in a voice that I have never heard in my life, punching the wall and saying he cannot take it anymore," she said. Hikari alleges that Kentaro Kitagawa, then head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office, raped her following an after-work party in 2018. Kitagawa was not arrested until June 2024, later charged and his name made public. He told an initial hearing in October that he had "no intention of fighting the case" and apologised for "causing serious and severe harm to the victim". However, he changed his tune in December when his lawyer told reporters that Kitagawa "did not recognise that (Hikari) was unable to resist... and believed that she had consented". Kitagawa, according to one media report, changed his mind after Hikari held a news conference and alleged that the prosecution had leaked information from the investigation. - 'A nightmare' - Hikari says she was not used to drinking strong alcohol and lost her memory halfway through the office gathering. Colleagues told prosecutors that she got into a taxi to go home and that Kitagawa forced himself into the vehicle. The next thing she knew, she said, she was in Kitagawa's home and was being raped. "It was like I was having a terrible nightmare," Hikari told AFP. "I couldn't resist because I was terrified that I could be killed." Hikari said she kept quiet after it happened. Kitagawa had pleaded with her not to go public, saying that it would be a damaging scandal for the prosecutor's office, she said, and even threatened suicide. He retired about a year after the incident but Hikari felt he still had influence over some officials and could hurt her career. "He was a very influential and powerful man, so I was afraid that no one would listen to me if I complained about the assault," she said. - 'Safe environment' - The trauma still gnawed away at her. Finally, after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and taking time off work, she filed her case in 2024. "In order to live, to get back to a peaceful life with my family, and to get back to my job as a prosecutor, I felt that (Kitagawa) needed to be brought to justice," she said. "I just want to work in a safe environment... I want to save victims through work," she said. She returned to work in September, only to find that malicious rumours were circulating. These included identifying her as the victim -- her name had not been made public -- and that she had been attracted to Kitagawa, consented to sex and was not drunk. Hikari believes the rumours were spread by people close to Kitagawa. She has been on leave ever since. She said her husband, with whom she has a child, is her biggest supporter but that he "is struggling with how to save me". - Face hidden - Kitagawa's lawyer has not responded to an AFP request for comment sent on June 30. Hikari hasn't revealed her name and has held news conferences and interviews on the condition that her face won't be shown. A handful of other victims of similar crimes have gone further. These include journalist Shiori Ito, who won a landmark civil case against a prominent TV reporter she accused of raping her. In 2021, Rina Gonoi accused fellow soldiers of sexual assault and three of them were later given suspended sentences. Both women were praised for their bravery in coming forward but also received a barrage of online hate. The latest government figures show that 8.1 per cent of Japanese women, or one in 12.5, have had non-consensual sex. Just 1.5 percent contacted police and 55.4 percent stayed silent. However, Seisen University Professor Kaori Okamoto said that now "the idea that it's okay to talk about sexual violence is spreading". Okamoto, a clinical psychologist who has been helping victims, said the number of people consulting support centres is also increasing. Even though there is no major #MeToo movement like those in the United States and South Korea, modest-sized rallies against sexual violence sprang up across Japan after several alleged rapists were acquitted in 2019. Law changes have also helped. The definition of rape was broadened in 2017, while the need for victims to prove violence or intimidation was removed in 2023. "In the past, many thought that even if you report the assault, you're only going to get hurt and you're not going to catch the culprit," Okamoto said. - Career ladder - Hikari said sexual harassment is "rampant" in the Japanese legal world. Public records show that 21 people at prosecutors' offices have been disciplined for sexual violence in the past 16 years, she said. "Officials feel they can do anything as they climb the career ladder," Hikari said. "The prosecutors have no shareholders, no sponsors and no external pressure," she said. Her supporters submitted a petition to the government in January calling for a long prison sentence for Kitagawa and strict punishment for the assistant prosecutor. The petition has more than 68,000 signatures. "The reason I still continue to speak publicly is because I want to keep saying that the victims are not at fault," Hikari said. "I don't know your faces, but at least I want to say that I'm by your side." nf/stu/pbt/fox
