“This crime has had an enormous effect on my life”, a teenager subjected to a sex attack in Chester city centre told a court today (March 18).

Chester man James Parry was found guilty of rape on the fifth day of his retrial at Warrington Crown Court.

The 25-year-old, of Marlston Avenue in Westminster Park, was convicted of sexually assaulting the woman following a trial last year, but the jury failed to reach a verdict on the rape charge.

A fresh jury comprising eight men and four women took three hours and 20 minutes to return their verdict on what happened during the early hours of June 20, 2015.

Chatting about tattoos

The court earlier heard that Parry and his victim - who was 18 at the time - started chatting about tattoos outside Rosies nightclub and they agreed to go into an alleyway so she could show him one she had on her hip.

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But after the pair kissed consensually, Parry, who works with vulnerable adults, raped her in a doorway in St Peter’s Courtyard.

Appearing via video link, the victim addressed Judge Nicholas Woodward about the impact the events of June 20 last year have had on her.

She said she had become afraid of the dark in the weeks afterwards and developed night terrors.

“Whenever I closed my eyes for the first week after the attack, all I could see was his face,” she said.

Anxious and panicky

She described feeling ‘anxious and panicky’ when she is out around groups of men now and thinks this is due to the ‘unpredictability of people’.

“I feel like I have lost all my confidence,” she said. “Before I would speak to anyone but now I will only talk to my friends and family.”

She told Judge Woodward it took her around three months to build up enough confidence to go shopping and on nights out again

The court heard that the teenager sustained several injuries during the incident, including soft tissue damage to her cheek, concussion and now suffers from muscle spasms in her back.

She said she experienced daily headaches and dizzy spells for around three months.

Starting university

Having only started university in September, she spoke of how her studies have been affected due to having to take time off to attend court.

Judge Woodward postponed sentencing to allow for the preparation of reports.

“In this case, I am troubled about what happened and shocked about what I have seen and heard,” Judge Woodward said.

“I need some time to consider whether this man will pose a danger to members of the public.”

Parry will be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on April 19.