A VIOLENT offender has had his prison sentence extended after he was found guilty of beating and raping a woman over a two year period.

Thomas Old, 26, was found guilty of multiple counts of rape, assault by beating and assault by penetration at Salisbury Crown Court earlier this year.

The offences took place between October 2008 and May 2011.

At Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday Old was handed an 18-year prison sentence. It will run concurrently with a 13-and-a-half year jail term he is already serving for a horrific and shocking attack on a young mum back in 2013.

After learning Old had been jailed, the victim in the latest case came forward and he was charged.

The court heard the attacks began with beatings and then escalated to sexual assaults in the last four months.

During these sexual assaults the victim would be stripped naked, bound and on occasion gagged. Old would then rape her while still continuing to beat her.

On some occasions following these assaults, Old would leave the victim tied up for hours to give her “time to calm down”. The court heard that Old was careful when it came to his attacks - making sure to hit the victim just within the hairline so bruising wasn’t seen.

It was also heard that once he had “punished her” he could trust her again.

On one occasion Old forced a vodka bottle down the victim’s throat and threatened to kill her.

Yesterday Old’s father, Stephen Old, told the court his son was a changed man since being in prison.

“He’s completely different now. He has taken ownership for what he has done and is reflective and remorseful,” said Mr Old.

“When he leaves prison he wants to make a fresh start and put what has happened behind him.”

Nicholas Cotter, defending, told the judge that he was not dealing with the angry 18-year-old boy who committed the offences but a 26-year-old man.

Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said it was the “prolonged period” of the attacks which makes this worse.