David Morrison

David Morrison, a 44-year-old man from Wilton, near Redcar, was convicted of rape and assault by penetration at Teesside Crown Court. The court heard that Morrison had paid another man to have sex with his victim, instructing the man to 'do what you want'. When the woman refused, Morrison raped her, leaving her with profound psychological trauma.

The victim, in a powerful impact statement delivered at the court, described the devastating effects of the sexual abuse she endured. Fighting back tears, she explained how the attack had turned her home into a prison and her body into something she feared. She lost her career, developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and was pushed to the brink of despair, contemplating ending her own life. 'He has turned my home into a prison and my body into something that I fear,' she stated. Previously speaking to the Northern Echo, she expressed feeling like a prisoner while Morrison lived freely, highlighting the delays in the justice system that exacerbated her permanent state of fear, complex PTSD, and nightmares.

Morrison failed to appear for his sentencing hearing at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, October 24, 2024, resulting in a warrant for his arrest issued earlier that month after he missed another hearing. He had been allowed to walk free pending sentence despite the jury's conviction, a decision that the victim had publicly criticised. Cleveland Police confirmed that Morrison fled the country and was arrested in Spain, from where he will be extradited back to the UK. In his absence, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, made subject to a lifelong restraining order, and required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

The case was reported by the Northern Echo, with crime and court reporter Graeme Hetherington covering the developments. Cleveland Police, responsible for the investigation in the Teesside area, revealed the details of Morrison's arrest and impending extradition.