Welsh senior Labour politician’s son, 31, who raped 22-year-old woman he subjected to ‘cruel and degrading acts’ is jailed for nearly nine years
- Jonathan Drakeford, 31, is the son of Welsh Assembly member Mark Drakeford
- AM’s son gagged and ‘humiliated’ woman, 22, before beating and raping her
- Denied rape and ABH but convicted by jury and jailed for 8 years and 8 months
- Drakeford admitted meeting girl, 15, but was snared by paedophile hunter gang
Jonathan Drakeford, whose father Mark Drakeford is favourite to take over as First Minister, gagged his victim with her own underwear and raped her
The son of one of Welsh Labour’s most senior politicians was today jailed for more than eight years for raping a woman in a deliberately ‘cruel and degrading’ attack.
Jonathan Drakeford’s father is Mark Drakeford – the favourite to take over as First Minister from Carwyn Jones.
The 31-year-old forced the 22-year-old woman on to a bed in a Cardiff house and then ‘humiliated’ her by gagging her with her own underwear before raping her.
He had also beaten her with a leather paddle – and his bare hands – leaving her covered in bruises.
The politician’s son had denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm and rape but was found guilty by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court and jailed for eight years and eight months today.
At a previous hearing he also admitted trying to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex – but was snared by paedophile hunting vigilantes.
Describing the rape of the 22-year-old woman, prosecutor Clare Wilks told Drakeford’s sentencing hearing : ‘It was a sustained attack’.
Ms Wilks read out a victim impact statement from the woman, who cannot be named, in which she described suffering ‘flashbacks’ of the attack.
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The woman said: ‘I don’t feel myself any more’.
Drakeford also admitted trying to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex but was snared by paedophile hunters
Before his trial Drakeford also pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence, after discussing having sex with a Facebook user who purported to be a 15-year-old girl.
Ms Wilks said it was likely the profile actually belonged to an online vigilante who reported Drakeford to the police.
The rapist’s father is Mark Drakeford AM, the frontrunner to become the next first minister of Wales
Nigel Fryer, defending, said Drakeford suffered from autistic spectrum disorder, and had an ‘extremely low’ IQ of 68 and the reading age of a 10-year-old.
Mr Fryer said: ‘The fact he will now be incarcerated is going to have an additional impact on him.’
Judge Jonathan Furness QC told Drakeford his victim suffered ‘degradation and humiliation’ during the attack in November 2016.
Judge Furness said: ‘You hit her on at least six occasions with the leather paddle and with your hands.
‘It caused significant bruising and occurred in circumstances where she was protesting she did not want it to happen.
‘Finally you raped her. It was a prolonged incident overall. You used violence on her and there was additional degradation and humiliation.’
Drakeford, from Cardiff, was jailed for eight years and eight months.
He was also given a sexual harm prevention order, limiting his use of the internet, and banned from any unauthorised contact with a child under the age of 16.
Mark Drakeford, who is favourite to become First Minister when Carwyn Jones steps down in December, did not attend his son’s sentencing but released a statement on Wednesday saying: ‘This has been a very distressing period for our family. Our thoughts are with all those caught up in it, especially the victim.
‘There will be nothing further to add to this statement on this personal and private matter.’
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