March 2013 Waltham Abbey man jailed after admitting rape and child sex A DRUG addict who repeatedly raped and assaulted a young girl has been jailed for 12 years. John Laskey, 42, of Rounton Road, Waltham Abbey, subjected his victim to live a “nightmare” for several years. At Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC branded Laskey “wicked” and said: “She’s mentally scarred and likely to remain so for the whole of her life. “It was wicked selfishness.” Laskey, a drunkard who was also addicted to class A drugs, threatened to kill the girl, attacked her on one occasion leaving her with a black eye and began to strangle her on another. He pleaded guilty to nine specimen rapes, engaging in sexual activity with her and assaulting her causing actual bodily harm, all in Waltham Abbey between April 2011 and November last year. Before the hearing on Tuesday, Judge Goldstaub warned the public gallery – where the victim was sitting – their “strong feelings” about the case should not prevent order being kept or they would be liable to imprisonment and the area cleared. As Laskey was taken away to begin his sentence a number of people wept. Outside court he was described as an “animal”. Peter Gair, prosecuting, said: “[The victim] was raped on a number of occasions and he would verbally abuse her – resulting in her screams – and afterwards he once said ‘Thank you,’ before giving her money, making her feel like dirt. “She was also struck by him giving her a black eye, but she initially claimed she had fallen down before breaking down in tears the day after when she revealed the offences.” A month after the physical assault and rape, the girl broke down at school. Her friend took her to the head of year, who in turn called the police Mr Gair told the judge the girl had kept a diary, initially for dreams, in which she noted down the offences. Since the attacks, the girl has struggled at school, found it hard to concentrate, has cut her legs and arms and become scared around men – no longer knowing who she can trust. Laskey’s counsel, Nichola Kafferkey, said: “He has a history for many years of class A drug addiction and alcohol abuse… He’s disgusted by his actions.” As well as jailing Laskey, the judge also placed him on the sex offenders’ register for life and imposed an indefinite sex offences prevention order.