A former North Wales footballer raped a sixth form student while she slept. Terry Nicholas, of Jubilee Road in Buckley, was jailed for eight and a half years today after a jury found him guilty of the attack which took place in his home in the summer of 2021.

Nicholas, 36-year-old, meet the student, who was then aged 17, whilst out drinking at a pub in Mold, Flintshire. Mold Crown Court heard how Nicholas, the victim and others went back to a house in Flintshire where they continued drinking. Nicholas also brought cocaine as he was a "casual user" of the drug, the court heard.

The teenager who was "completely out of it" went to bed at the property before Nicholas, who told the others he was "just going to the toilet", snuck into the bedroom and began assaulting her as she slept. The judge believed that having sex with the woman was his "clear intention" that night.

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The woman woke up during the attack and pushed Nicholas away. Nicholas then told the victim and another woman to leave the house.

Prosecutor Siôn ap Mihangel told the court, through a victim impact statement, that young woman felt "constant uneasiness" around men since the traumatic ordeal and dreaded going to sleep due to "night terrors" and having the feeling that "someone was back on top of her". She endured a "depressive episode" and "struggled with self-worth" following the attack.

Defending, Martyn Walsh, said his client had a "reasonable career" playing football for local teams. He stressed Nicholas had "no offences of a sexual nature on his record".

However, the judge Simon Mills felt that there was some "concerning" sides to the defendant identified through a pre-sentence report for the courts. Judge Mills said the 36-year-old's attitude was "misogynistic" when he claimed he "didn't need to commit sexual offences" to sleep with women.

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The judge went on to lock Nicholas up for eight-and-a-half years, listing him as a sex offender for life. He said: "You raped her and treated her with contempt. And in effect, that's what you've done ever since.

"You've not shown a shred of remorse, let alone recognition, for what you did. You provided misogynistic views verging on an attitude you could not care less about what you're facing. I urge you to take a long, hard look at yourself, the way you act, the way you treat women and the way you think."

Speaking after sentencing, North Wales Police Detective Constable Nick Ellis said: “I commend the bravery of the victim who felt able to report this incident to us and who showed courage and strength throughout the entirety of the case.

“I hope they can now focus on moving forward with their lives with the knowledge that Nicholas is now being held accountable for this disgraceful crime, for which he has shown no remorse.

“I would encourage any victim of sexual abuse to come forward, safe in the knowledge that we will do everything in our power to pursue offenders and protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

The North Wales Police Amethyst team is made up of specially trained officers to support victims through investigations of this nature.

Visit their website here for further information on how to seek assistance and support