Man on trial for alleged rape after 'lying about having a vasectomy'

A man who allegedly lied about having a vasectomy to convince a woman to sleep with him has appeared in court charged with rape, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind.

Jason Lawrance, 54, was previously convicted of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault against women he met on the online dating sites Match.com and Dating Direct.

Since his conviction in 2016 five more women have come forward to allege that Mr Lawrance raped them after they met him online, a court heard yesterday.

In one attack, Lawrance is alleged to have lied to a woman about having a vasectomy, got her pregnant and later passed off the lie as "just banter".

Lawrance allegedly slept with the woman, then left in the night when she told him she had plans to see another man later that week.

Despite allegedly reassuring her repeatedly, the court heard how Lawrance later messaged her to tell her: "I have a confession. I'm still fertile. Sorry."

The woman took a morning after pill when he said he had not had the procedure, but still became pregnant and had an abortion, the court heard.

The court was told some of the women were happy to have sex with Lawrance provided he used protection or had had a vasectomy.

Prosecutor Clive Stockwell QC told the jury: “Rape necessarily involves the exploitation of vulnerability, vulnerability exploited to satisfy a selfish sexual need.

"During this trial you will hear of the cruelty suffered by six such vulnerable women, all exploited to satisfy a selfish sexual need.”

“The selfish sexual needs of Jason Lawrance.”

Mr Stockwell told the jury that cases of rape were not confined to “a woman walking alone at night, falling victim to the sexual brutality of a stranger”.

Speaking about the woman who became pregnant, Mr Stockwell said: "Both had sex in mind but (the alleged victim) was keen to ensure that some protection was in place.

"She checked with him that he had had a vasectomy and he confirmed that he had.

"Put simply she was telling him: 'Yes I will have sex with you if you're telling me that you've had a vasectomy'.

"It was a clear condition. A condition that (she) was perfectly entitled to insist upon."

Mr Lawrance’s case takes place three years after his conviction for rape in 2016, after which five women came forward with new allegations, the court heard.

Mr Lawrance is alleged to have attacked another woman in her Northamptonshire home before "calmly" going upstairs to have a shower.

The prosecution said Lawrance had met the woman after she invited him round for a coffee - and despite telling him "No, I don't want this", he responded with "shut up... it's going to happen anyway".

Other women had allegedly been attacked in Lawrance's car or van - with one being pushed on a double bed in the back of his van after taking a drive to Bradgate Park, Leicestershire.

The court was told another woman had a belt wrapped around her neck, in an area called Bluebell Woods in Dingley Dell, Market Harborough.

Lawrance, formerly of Arundel Close, Liphook, Hampshire, denies seven counts of rape, one charge of sexual assault and a further charge of assault by penetration.

The trial continues.