Rapist's appeal rejected: conviction stands

A man convicted of raping a woman in her home has had his appeal rejected. Darren Anthony Roxby, aged 20, from Thames Crescent in Houghton-le-Spring, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment at Newcastle Crown Court after being found guilty of raping a 21-year-old woman. The appeal hearing, conducted by Lord Justice Auld alongside Mr Justice Holman and Mr Justice Openshaw, upheld the original verdict and dismissed claims that the trial judge's summing up was flawed and unsafe. Roxby's legal team contended there were errors in the judge's instructions to the jury, but the appellate court ruled to deny the appeal, confirming the conviction. The case was reported on October 25, 2005, in the Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England). The article states that Roxby was convicted of and sentenced for a serious sexual offense, and the appeal was dismissed, leaving the original four-year sentence in place. The article also mentions that it's copyrighted by MGN Ltd. and Gale, Cengage Learning, from the 2005 record. The overall outcome was the affirmation of the original conviction, and no further legal action is indicated.