Gateshead Rapist's Sentence Boosted After Brutal Crimes

A violent sexual offender named Raymond James Paternoster, aged 58, from Old Durham Road in Gateshead, has been involved in heinous crimes including rape and assault. He was originally sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court to 10 and a half years for multiple charges, including four counts of rape and three assaults, which involved the victim suffering a broken jaw, head injuries, and hair pulling in a 'savage' attack in November 2017. The jury found him guilty despite his denial, and the attack's brutality was described as 'sustained' and 'particularly brutish' by Lord Justice Gross. The victim's statement detailed her suffering, mentioning nightmares, mental trauma, and fear. The Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, challenged the original sentence, and top judges in London, after government interference, increased it to 13 years, citing the offenses as unduly lenient. The case underscored the severity of Paternoster's crimes and the legal system's response, emphasizing that the sentence now better reflects the total criminality involved and aims to bring some closure to the victim.