Jailed: Man, 73, who raped elderly Shropshire woman with dementia gets 10 years

Peter Rowley was convicted of one charge of rape after the jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court heard he had entered the 68-year-old woman's sheltered accommodation before forcing himself on her.

In her evidence the victim said he sexually propositioned her before forcing her to the floor of her living room on December 28, 2014.

Judge Jonathan Gosling told Rowley, of Apley Court, Wellington, he will have to sign the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

He said Rowley was a "calculating" man who had chosen his victim as he knew she was vulnerable.

He told him: "You overpowered her and forced yourself on her. She had no sexual experience before at all and a limited understanding of what was involved.

"You specifically targeted her and attacked her in the privacy of her own flat. You returned your attention to this woman when your wife became too unwell to respond to your sexual desires. You no doubt thought she would be suitably innocent and compliant.

"One recoils when looking at the photographs of her living room to see you had put cushions on the floor where you defiled her just feet from a Christmas card from the man she considered her boyfriend."

In a victim impact statement read out in court, the woman said she had had to move into another housing complex as she was frightened that Rowley or someone like him would attack her again.

She said she is not sleeping well and has only been able to leave the house twice because of her fears.

The trial had heard that Rowley had stopped his attack when the woman's carer arrived earlier than expected and let herself into the flat to find him standing over the woman.

He had claimed she had fallen over and was helping her back up, but the carer said she had seen him readjusting his clothes as he left the flat.

The court had also heard how Rowley did not know the victim's carer had a key to her flat and therefore did not expect to be disturbed.