October 2014
Rapist jailed for 18 years for “protection of public”
A BOURNEMOUTH man has been jailed for 18 years after raping two girls and attempting to rape a man.
Neil Skinner, 49, had pleaded guilty to eight counts of rape and sexual assault and admitted two further separate offences – attempted rape and sexual assault – at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday last week.
Sentencing, Judge Samuel Wiggs imposed a 12 year concurrent sentence for each of the first eight counts, with a six year extension period added as Skinner is considered a dangerous offender.
“I am quite satisfied in these circumstances that it is necessary for the protection of the public from serious harm caused by you to impose an extended sentence,” he said.
He said Skinner had “preyed” on his “very young” victims and his crimes would affect them for the rest of their lives.
Speaking in mitigation, Fern Russell said Skinner would welcome a longer sentence to protect the public and to protect “himself from himself”.
“It is unusual in defence to come across someone with such disarming candour,” she said.
In the case of the attempted rape she said Skinner had claimed to police he was trying to cheer up his male victim as they both “felt low”, and he was sorry he had upset him.
She said a previous relationship he had had with an older man may have warped his attitude to sex.
Skinner, of Robert Louis Stevenson Avenue, received concurrent three year and one year sentences for the latter counts of attempted rape and sexual assault, respectively.
He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and ordered to comply with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, both of which were applied indefinitely.
