SAMUEL FEARNEHOUGH

'Intelligent and caring' Stockton dad-of-two has been sentenced to prison for raping a woman.

Samuel Fearnehough was found guilty of rape after a jury trial at Teesside Crown Court and was subsequently jailed for five years and nine months.

The court heard that his partner will be heavily impacted by the sentence, as she will now be responsible for caring for their disabled daughter alone.

Despite his conviction, references from Fearnehough's partner and others depicted him in a very positive light, describing him as 'polite, caring, intelligent and sensitive.'Fearnehough's victim was raped by him before he entered a relationship with his current partner.

The court was informed of additional troubling behavior, including instances where Fearnehough threw water at a woman and dragged her out of a car.

The judge, Aisha Wadoodi, highlighted the disparity between the positive character references and these behaviors.He resides on Pennyroyal Road in Stockton.

The sentence will involve serving two-thirds of the five-year and nine-month term before being eligible for release on license.

The court's decision took into account the impact on his family, especially concerning upcoming medical procedures for their daughter.