Newcastle dog walker who raped vulnerable dementia sufferer in her home jailed

Paul Woodmass, of Lemington, tracked down and attacked the elderly stranger after meeting her a few weeks earlier while they walked their pets

A dog walker who raped a dementia suffering pensioner in her own home has been branded dangerous as he jailed for nine years for the shocking attack.

Paul Woodmass hunted down the elderly stranger after chatting to her while they walked their pets a few weeks earlier.

The married grandfather then raped the vulnerable victim after tricking his way into her home. As police spoke to the woman hours later, Woodmass turned up outside her house, refused to give his name to police until he was arrested and was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms, having gone back hoping to strike again.

The 66-year-old, of Linnel Drive, Lemington, Newcastle, had denied rape and said they only chatted and had a cup of tea, despite his saliva being found inside her underwear. Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court unanimously convicted him after a trial in July and he has been remanded in custody since then.

Now he has been jailed for nine years plus an extended licence period of a further three years after a judge branded him a dangerous offender. He will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life and was given a sexual harm prevention order and restraining order, which are both indefinite.

As he was sentenced, the court heard the victim “mercifully has no real recollection of what happened” as a result of her dementia. Judge Andrew Smith said: “She knows something happened that was not pleasant. She doesn’t fully understand and to some extent thinks she might be responsible. It’s knocked her confidence going forward.”

Passing sentence, the judge said: “You undoubtedly met her on an earlier occasion when she was out walking her dog. You would have identified her as elderly and forgetful with a degree of confusion.

“You entered her house, she can’t remember how you got in – if you were invited in it was as a result of a degree of trickery. Your purpose was not to have a cup of tea (as he had claimed), your purpose was at least to take advantage of any sexual opportunities which arose.”

The judge said he could not be sure he intended to rape her when he went there. But he did rape her and the judge said his actions showed he was “forensically aware”.

He added: “I think you went there to chance your luck and when you got there you realised the position she was in and took advantage of it. I take the view you are a dangerous offender.”

It was just after 3pm one afternoon that the pensioner called her son and said someone had been in her house and raped her. The son and his wife rushed to her home, where she repeated the claim, saying someone had had sex with her and she didn’t want it. She said he he had left his two dogs outside during the attack.

Earlier that afternoon, Woodmass had gone to a nearby house asking for the victim but he had gone to the wrong address.

The court heard police arrived at the woman’s home around 3.30pm. While she was struggling to recall certain details, she gave some details of what had happened.

Police spoke to neighbours and had identified the man with the two dogs as Woodmass after he was caught on ring doorbell footage. Later that day, police were still with the pensioner when they saw Woodmass at the bottom of her driveway.

His behaviour was immediately suspicious. He refused to give his name, saying he would only provide information if he was accused of committing a crime.

After being arrested, Woodmass said he had gone to the woman’s home “to have a cup of tea”. When he was searched, he was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms. Judge Smith said his account to jurors that he had found the condoms on the street was “frankly unbelievable”.

He added: “I’m quite sure you went back to the house intending to have sexual intercourse with her again, regardless of whether she consented or not. You knew what you could get away with and went back having obtained condoms because you were forensically aware.”

Woodmass’ saliva was found on the inside of the pensioner’s underwear, which jurors were told “is not consistent with having a cup of tea and giving her a hug”.

Jurors were told about a previous incident with another woman Woodmass met while dog walking in 2021. She said they got talking, had a shared interest in music and he offered to share some of his music with her. When he attended her house with a device with some music on it, the woman said he asked her for a hug and she agreed but during the “prolonged” embrace, he kissed her twice on the neck, which she said she was not happy about.

The woman said he then turned up at her home another day out of the blue in a drunken state. She said he told her he had not had sex with his wife for 20 years and that he “needed intimacy”. She told him he was making her feel uncomfortable and she believed he was asking for sex. She said he asked for a hug and she closed the door and locked it.

The woman said she got a family member to call him and they left a message telling him to leave her alone and she never saw him again. She reported her concerns to the police.

The court heard Woodmass has only one previous convictions, for drink driving in 2020. Jane Foley, defending, said character references from friends “demonstrate there’s another side to Mr Woodmass”.

The Chronicle

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