A THUG who inflicted a '20 hour nightmare' of rape, fear and abuse on a woman in her own home in Weymouth has been sent to prison for 19 years.

Reece Blain Vella, 32, was sentenced for strangulation, assaults and multiple rapes - all committed against the same victim - in Weymouth.

One incident happened on August 28, 2023 while he committed multiple offences over a 24 hour period between November 14 and 15, 2023.

Police said the victim in the case "showed immense strength and courage in coming forward and reporting what happened to her".

A judge heard that on November 14, 2023 Vella entered the victim's home and what followed was described by the prosecution as a “nightmarish 20 hours” for the victim. 

In summarising the case before sentencing, Judge Susan Evans KC said that from early on in the incident Vella had used a steak knife to threaten the victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons.

At one point in the evening, he took a serrated bread knife, and whilst she was on the phone to a friend, tapped it against her throat.

When he went to make food, the victim attempted to escape, but he caught her. He assaulted her, with hard punches to her face, and strangled her until she couldn’t breathe, and she also bled badly.

Vella threatened that if the victim went to the police, he would kill her and himself.

The judge said Vella followed her around the house, including to the bathroom, before raping her again. He recorded this on his phone, which was shown to the court as evidence.

The court heard he later raped her again twice.

It was said the victim was afraid for her life, and was doing what she had to, to survive.

The following morning, Vella raped the woman again before he went to work. The victim was said to be in pain, bruised and had a chipped tooth.

Vella ordered her not to leave the address and kept phoning her to stop her from calling for help.

However, the victim was able to contact a social worker, and Vella was arrested that morning.

The judge told the defendant: “This was a life-changing experience for her and she will never feel the same again. Her home is no longer a place of safety for her. She has lost her confidence and self-worth.

“You betrayed her trust after she had done her best over many years to make you feel loved and supported.”

It was heard that Vella, previously of Callow End, Worcester, was in the Royal Logistics Corps for 15 months before being discharged in 2011.

He has numerous previous convictions, including for rape, battery and supplying class-A drugs. In 2017 Vella fled to Thailand before he could go to trial for the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

He was arrested in Thailand after a woman who had been working as a prostitute fell to her death from a balcony in early 2018. Vella was returned to the UK in 2019 under an amnesty programme and jailed for the drug charges.

The court heard that Vella has significant mental health issues, including psychosis from Class-A drug use and dissociative personality disorder from his childhood.

This week, Vella was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to 19 years in prison and an additional six years on licence. This includes concurrent sentences of 19 years and six months on licence for one of the rape charges, 15 years for the other three rape charges, 30 months for strangulation and assault causing bodily harm, and 27 months for assault causing bodily harm, strangulations and threats to kill.

The judge also handed Vella a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life. He must sign on the sex offender register for life. He has also been given a restraining order to not contact the victim.

Vella, who appeared in court via a video link from HMP Winchester - initially only pleaded guilty to two counts but changed his other pleas to guilty on the morning of the trial.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Kim Williams, of Dorset County CID, said: “The victim in this case showed immense strength and courage in coming forward and reporting what happened to her and in giving evidence in the trial against the perpetrator.

“I am pleased that Reece Vella is now behind bars and facing the consequences of his abusive and unacceptable behaviour.

“Tackling violence against women and girls is a key force priority and we are committed to supporting victims and ensuring robust action is taken against perpetrators.”