Oswestry man facing jail for 'brutal' rape of woman on New Year's Day

Howard Long carried out the attack on a woman who was walking along a road in the early hours of the morning.

Long had initially denied attacking the woman.

But he changed his plea at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday, a day before he was due to stand trial.

He pleaded guilty one charge of rape and one count of attempted rape.

He also admitted two further charges of assault in relation to the attack.

The 31-year-old carried out the attack near Morda, Oswestry.

Long, of Melverley, near Oswestry, was remanded in custody by Judge Robin Onions at a hearing in Shrewsbury yesterday.

He will appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court on September 1, where he has been told he faces a long jail term when he is sentenced.

Judge Onions ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service ahead of the sentencing hearing.

The judge told him that he should use his period in custody on remand to prepare for a the prospect of a long sentence.

He said: "I want an assessment of your dangerousness – this was a serious offence.

"It was a particularly brutal and persistent rape of a stranger.

"It is of the kind of which is thankfully very rare these days.

"You should expect a sentence of some length."

The victim, who is from Oswestry, was walking from the town centre following New Year's Eve celebrations.

She was on the B5069 and walking in the direction of Welshpool when Long attacked her. The court heard that the attack happened between 2.30am and 3.20am on New Year's Day.

The victim was taken to Royal Shrewsbury hospital for treatment after the attack.

A section of the B5069 road was closed while police carried out an investigation.

Officers sealed off a section of road from the Morda crossroads to the junction with the A483 on New Years Day and for part of January 2.