A HORRIFIED wife discovered her husband had been repeatedly raping her in her sleep when she found videos of the sex attacks saved on his mobile phone.
The victim stumbled on the footage after looking at an app called Video Locker on her spouse’s phone.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the series of videos had been filmed while the victim was asleep in their marital bed, sometimes after drinking alcohol.
In some scenes he had zoomed in to record some of the graphic rape footage.
The court heard the sickened victim contacted her husband after watching the video collection and told him: “I’ve just watched videos of you raping me on your phone”.
The attacker never returned home and handed himself into the police.
He has now been jailed for nine years.
The husband, who is in his 30s, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, one of assault by penetration, one of attempted rape and one of sexual assault.
In a statement, the traumatised victim said her life had been left in tatters as she struggled to come to terms with what her husband had done.
She said: “In March 2017, I discovered my husband had been sexually abusing me.
“I never thought he would be capable of doing what he did.
“He has completely fooled me. I never want to see him again.”
The court was told the man started the horrific abuse in September last year.
The woman said her ordeal has left her questioning every part of their seemingly happy relationship.
Mark Giuliani, prosecuting, said: “On March 14 this year, the defendant left for work. As he forgot to take his mobile phone with him, the complainant took the opportunity to look at the phone and noticed something called Video Locker.
“Initially, she couldn’t get access to it, which caused her to become suspicious.”
After a few moments, the woman managed to get access to the programme and was horrified by what she found.
Mr Giuliani added: “It showed video recordings of the defendant participating in sexual activity with his wife while she was asleep.
“The recordings have subsequently been destroyed.”
The court heard the videos varied in length from 30 seconds to two minutes and each showed a different occasion of the man raping or abusing his sleeping wife.
The court was told that, by the time the victim went to the police a short while later, the man had already handed himself in, telling officers” I have had sex with my wife. She didn’t consent. She found out and saw videos on my phone”.
Locking him up for nine years and ordering him to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, Mr Recorder Baird said: “You abused the trust that your wife placed in you.
“Between September 2016 and March this year, you raped and sexually abused her while she was incapable of giving consent to your actions.
“I take the view you took advantage of the fact that she was in drink and a heavy sleeper.
“You did so for your own sexual gratification and treated her as an object for your fantasies, disregarding her wishes or needs.”
The court heard the man had no previous convictions and, in the past, had been highly thought of by his colleagues and friends.
Richard Herrmann, defending, said: “There’s genuine remorse and awareness of the harm he’s caused and a willingness to make changes that this man has to make so he can live a normal life after the inevitable lengthy custodial sentence he will receive today.”
