Rapist jailed after ripping woman’s face from her skull in brutal attack

A violent rapist has been jailed for 12 years after he attacked a woman so badly that her face became completely detached from her skull.

Anthony Laine, 30, raped the unidentified woman twice near the River Severn in Bewdley, Worcestershire last summer.

The horrifying attack left his victim with a ‘floating face’ – the medical term for when the front of the face becomes detached from the skull.

Laine pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and inflicting GBH with intent at Worcester Crown Court.

His victim said via a recorded video statement: “It’s ruined my life. I come across as a strong person. I’m not really. I’m looking at lots more operations, lots more time in hospital.

‘I’m in constant pain. I can’t eat properly. I have to eat soft food. I can’t chew anything at all. I can’t eat meat or even toast. I can’t open my mouth to yawn.”

She added: “I’m still alive, that’s the only thing. I’m fed up with the pain. That’s what gets me down more than anything.”

Prosecutor Timothy Sapwell said the woman suffered a 4ins cut down the middle of her forehead, a v-shaped cut over her right eye and another over her left eye.

Both eyes were also swollen shut and her eyelids had to be cut open to relieve pressure on her eyes.

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A CT scan at hospital revealed serious underlying fractures to her face, known as ‘Le Fort Fractures’.

One ran above her teeth and upper jaw, while another ran from the bridge of her nose across the floor of the eye socket to the hinge of her jaw.

Mr Sapwell added: “The front of the face was completely detached from the skull and smashed in two. It’s described in medical terms as floating face.”

The court heard her injuries required a nine and a half hour operation where bone grafts from other parts of the skull were used to repair her nose.

Metal plates and screws were also put into her eye sockets, her cheek and jawbone during the surgery.

The woman, who has no feeling in her top lip, said she doesn’t like leaving the house because she feels people are looking at her.

Speaking about her attacker, she said: “Words can’t express how scared I am.”

The court heard Laine was seen by a witness running from the scene and sustained injuries to his hands in the attack, although he claimed in a police interview he had “only punched her four or five times”.

Simon Rippon, defending, said Laine pleaded guilty to on the second day of his trial, sparing the victim “the trauma and stress of giving evidence”.

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins QC said: “There is a significant risk of the defendant causing serious harm to members of the public, particularly women.”

An indefinite sexual harm prevention order was also made as well as a restraining order preventing Laine having contact with the victim.

Top pic: SWNS