Cadet officer jailed for rape

A 34-year-old man who raped a woman and held her captive at gun-point for 12 hours in west Wales has been jailed for three years.

Swansea Crown Court heard how Stephen Van-Rhyn, a commanding officer with the Air Training Corps, threatened to kill his victim and himself during the incident in April this year.

The trial was heard at Swansea Crown Court

At the hearing on Tuesday, the jury was told how Van-Rhyn allowed his victim to make phone calls to her boyfriend and parents.

Van-Rhyn had denied rape and possessing a .22 target rifle with intent to endanger life but changed his plea and admitted both offences after hearing evidence from his victim.

During the trial the jury was told how Van-Rhyn had warned police "bullets would fly" if they attempted to force entry into his house in West Haven, Cosheston, Pembrokeshire.

More than a dozen officers from Dyfed-Powys Police, including trained negotiators, had been called to the scene.

Mitigating circumstances

The woman was freed at 0500 BST on the morning of the 29 April - the defendant gave himself up five hours later.

Van-Rhyn, a safety officer with an engineering firm, also admitted two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence and false imprisonment.

The judge Mr Justice Richards told the court that there had been mitigating circumstances in the case.

There was evidence that Van-Rhyn was suffering from mental illness at the time and his victim had expressed her forgiveness.

Van-Rhyn will be put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.