Plymouth student rapist brought 'ultimate shame' on his family

A FORMER student who raped two women has been jailed for eight years.

Christian Egeonu forced himself on his victims after having consensual sex with them.

A jury yesterday found him guilty of two counts of rape after a week-long trial.

He was cleared of a third allegation, of sexually assaulting a woman in the street when she was too drunk to give consent.

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The court heard how the crimes had brought the "ultimate shame" on Egeonu and his family.

Judge Graham Cottle said the 28-year-old, of Kingsley Road in Mutley, would be deported to his home country of Nigeria once he has served his sentence.

"In both cases there was previous consensual sexual activity and I have taken that in to account," said Judge Cottle.

But he added that on both occasions Egeonu was "unable to accept that no meant no" when the women tried to refuse further sex.

Egeonu had denied raping a teenager at his former home in Ermington Terrace, Mutley, in July last year. He had also denied raping a woman he met through a dating website in October 2011.

The jury heard the victims did not know each other and came forward independently.

Egeonu met the first woman at a city nightclub on July 20.

They went back to his house with a couple of friends and ended up having consensual sex. He then forced himself upon her again.

Judge Cottle said to Egeonu: "She made it quite plain she was not consenting to it. You nevertheless went on to rape her." Egeonu met the second victim through a dating website, the court heard. She invited him to stay with her for the weekend in Somerset.

They had consensual sex on the Friday night but the next night she told him she did not want to have intercourse.

Judge Cottle said: "You used your strength to overpower her and you raped her."

Ali Rafati, for the defence, said Egeonu was of previous good character and had a "golden future" until the death of his father in March 2011.

Egeonu came to Plymouth in 2009 from Nigeria to study business accounting at a college which had a partnership with Plymouth University. His father, a former police officer, paid for his education and supported him financially.

But when his father died, he could not pay his rent and went to live with a friend, the court heard.

Mr Rafati said: "He has through his conviction brought himself and his family the ultimate shame that they can carry."

Judge Cottle gave Egeonu a four-year sentence for each rape, to run consecutively.