Rape victim Lorraine Harling broke down as she told of her nightmare at the hands of the rapist she was going to marry, writes Mark Templeton and Karen Rosine.

Evil John Hinton has started ten years behind bars for the brutal rapes and assaults, which have left Lorraine in a wheelchair.

But the brave mum-of-six waived her legal right to anonymity to tell the Oxford Mail of the torture she went through in a bid to encourage other rape victims to report attacks.

She wept as she said: "I thought he was the nicest man on earth when I met him but I soon found out he was the devil."

Nightclub bouncer Hinton, 39, started dating Lorraine, 47, when they met at Rivers nightclub in Benson in 1995.

Lorraine, of Didcot, said: "He was lovely and everybody who met him thought he was wonderful. He got on well with my kids and I thought I'd found the man of my dreams - I thought one day we would marry. But after a couple of months he changed. He became obsessive and jealous, and one night he raped me. "It happened again but he was so full of remorse - at least, I believed he was - that I agreed to accompany him to counselling so he could get help.

"But that didn't change him. Things got a lot worse and my life is now a living hell."

Lorraine faces an agonising wait to discover if she will walk again. The court heard she suffered severe back pain throughout the ordeals. She has also lost the use of her left hand.

Hinton, of Woodpiece Road, Arncott, broke into Lorraine's flat to attack her. On one occasion he raped her in a garden shed after seeing her sunbathing.

Lorraine said: "He turned into a monster and I couldn't fight him off. After raping me he would dump me in a bath of cold water because he said this would destroy any evidence. "I told everyone about him and what he had done to me but he kept his job as a bouncer until a few days before he was jailed. It's been the worst three years of my life and it's destroyed me. I'll never get over it, mentally or physically.

"I have nightmares and I still wear a panic attack button around my neck, even though I know he's behind bars.

"I just wanted to die - nobody should ever go through what I've been through. I tried to kill myself once, but I'm glad I was alive to see him jailed.

"I hope my story encourages all other victims to go to the police and not keep quiet, as I did at first.

"This area is a safer place now he's off the streets." A jury at Oxford Crown Court found Hinton guilty of five rapes and two indecent assaults after more than six hours of deliberation. He was found not guilty of two other rapes.

The judge, Mr Justice Jowitt, jailed him for ten years, of which he must serve at least half.

He was also ordered to be placed on the sex offenders' register.

The judge told him: "You have sexually assaulted a woman on five different occasions. It is quite clear you were prepared to terrorise her and to use violence against her and to exploit the affection she still had for you.

"These are serious offences and you have to go to prison for a substantial period."

Lorraine, who has 13 grandchildren, said: "I've been told it will be at least two years before doctors will be able to tell if I can walk again.

"No words can describe how evil he was to me, yet I thought he was the man of my dreams when I met him.

"He's got ten years but even now I'm worrying about the day he'll be let out."

* Brutal legacy remains: See Features

Story date: Friday 26 November

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