Serial sex offender Paul Dixon to spend his final days behind bars after being sentenced at Preston Crown Court for rape

A terminally-ill serial sex offender will spend the remainder of his days behind bars after being convicted for a third time.

Preston Court Court heard 57-year-old Paul Dixon raped his victim on August 2, 2018 when he was already eight years into a 10 year-long sex offenders registration, having been charged with sexual assault in 2010.

Dixon, who also breached a non-molestation order in 2019, was found guilty of rape following a trial by jury in June and today he was sentenced to nine years in prison.

However the rapist, of Old Orchard, Fulwood, is suffering from terminal bowel cancer, and was not in court to receive his sentence.Defence Lawyer Miss Harris read out a letter by Dixon’s doctor which explained that he was currently undergoing chemotherapy for his cancer, and it was now terminal with six to 12 months left.

Miss Harris admitted that there was nothing in the letter to suggest Dixon could not attend court that day and the prosecution barrister, Mr Haworth, urged the judge to not delay the sentencing as this would be “harrowing” for the victim.Before the sentence was handed out, Dixon’s victim told the court she used to be a “strong minded, independent mother” but she has now “lost resilience, confidence and will”.

The victim said: “He raped me in my own home, where I am supposed to feel safe… I cried for him to stop… I have never felt so scared in my life… How could he ever think that was consent?... I live every day with the trauma.”

Following the attack, Dixon’s victim had suicidal thoughts, and shut herself off from the world, telling the court “I felt the safest place for me had to be in the hospital, I did not feel safe at home.”

She added that in time “the suicidal thoughts subsided and I focused on my family and garden”, but she still suffers from social anxiety, PTSD and reduced concentration, meaning she cannot work.

Dixon’s victim ended her personal statement saying “I have waited a long time for justice to prevail.”

It has taken taken five years for Dixon to be sentenced, with three trial dates and three sentencing hearings.

Two years after reporting the attack, the victim was told in February 2021 that the case was now NFA (no further action), but after writing to her MP and the CPS, this was overturned in March 2021.

Paul, who pleaded not guilty throughout, was due to go to trial in March 2022 but this was delayed after he was dismissed with bowel cancer.

A second trial date was then set for August 17 2022 but despite Dixon being deemed fit for trial, this got adjourned due to barrister strikes.

Today’s sentencing was also the third attempt to sentence Paul, with two previous hearings in July and August being delayed due to his illness.

Judge Preston commented that the victim “was right to point out” that the conviction took “too long” to secure, regretting that “all offences in this day and age take too long”, especially those of a sexual nature.

Speaking to the Post before the sentencing, the victim added: “I have done all I can to get this man to answer to his crime. I feel accomplished and very proud of myself for taking on my abuser and the justice system. I would urge any woman or man who is going through abuse and dealing with a case to keep fighting. Abuse on any level is never ok. Contact your local MP and contest your case if it gets No Further Actioned (NFA). You have a right to a review, so use it!! Do not be afraid to approach and write to authorities, even the judge at court. These actions need to be done in a mannerly way to be heard.”