Man who went on 'campaign of rape' left victims fearing for their lives

Darren Sysum's sentence was extended by an additional five years on parole, which means he could be recalled to prison any time until February 2047.

Judge Ian Lawrie QC told 29 year old Sysum: "You meet the dangerous criteria, which means I am justified in extending the sentence. This is because of your background, your history, your lack of remorse and your continual denial. This was a course of persistent behaviour over a long period of time."

Several of the jurors who tried Sysum last November returned to Gloucester Crown Court on Friday to witness him being sentenced for five offences of rape, one of sexual assault by penetration and one of assault causing actual bodily.

Sysum, of Matson Avenue, Gloucester had later admitted a further charge of using coercive and controlling behaviour against a woman, distributing indecent images and four breaches of a restraining order.

The jury returned their guilty verdicts on all the rape offences last year after almost nine hours deliberating.

They heard that Sysum 'did not care' whether women consented to sex with him or not and he was described as a 'confident and manipulative womaniser’ and a ‘narcissistic rapist' who subjected his victims to 'unimaginable harm’.

Sysum has since been diagnosed with a dissocial personality disorder – a person who consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others.

The prosecutor told the jury at the start of Sysum's trial “He is a man who manipulates women and abuses them and rapes them.

“He creates the conditions where he physically abuses them but sexually abuses them as well. He has the confidence that the women will not complain - or that if they do complain, that they will not be believed.

“He so undermines their confidence that they doubt themselves. He plays off the women against each other, creating rivalries and jealousies between them.

“He frightens them and wears them down so that the abuse almost becomes normal. He calls some of them repeatedly, often during the early hours of the morning, often making the women talk for hours, grinding them down."

The jury heard a recording of a phone conversation between Sysum and one of his alleged victims. When the woman told Sysum she was going to report him for rape he replied ‘Send me to jail, I don’t care.’

The jury were told that Sysum not only raped the women at their homes but also in an empty flat, in bushes and on one occasion while one of them was unconscious.

The prosecutor added: “These women were all vulnerable due to other factors in their lives, which is probably why Sysum picked on them in the first place.

“Some lacked confidence, but all were at some stage scared of him and did things to keep Sysum happy.

“This case is about consent, which should be a two-way street, but in Sysum’s case was one sided as he didn’t care if the women consented or not.

“He took what he wanted and how he wanted it and when he wanted it. The issue of their consent did not particularly trouble him.”

David Maunder, prosecuting at today's sentencing hearing, explained that since the trial Sysum has admitted a further offence of controlling and coercive behaviour.

Mr Maunder said: “Sysum was in a relationship with one woman which soon turned out to be abusive and violent, forcing the victim to distance herself from her family and friends.

“She ultimately allowed herself to be controlled by Sysum. The woman’s friends noticed a change in her demeanour and her personal heath during which Sysym began checking her phone.

“On one occasion he knocked her unconscious by punching her in the face. On Christmas Eve on year he broke into the woman’s flat and again knocked her unconscious as he was unhappy that she would be spending the festive season with her family and not him.

“Sysum also broke into the woman’s home on New Year’s Eve and again he punched her in the face.

"Afterwards the woman had to give into Sysum’s demands of having sex at least once a day and had to submit to this to placate his violence towards her.

“The woman later found out that Sysum had distributed videos of her having sex to others and on social media without her consent.”

The court heard from another woman who was a victim of Sysum’s stalking, harassment and coercive behaviour which resulted in a court issuing a restraining order not for him to contact his victim by any means.

“But while Sysum was in custody serving a 20-month prison term, he contacted the woman by sending birthday and Valentine cards and his release he contacted her through social media and then met her in person,” said Mr Maunder.

In a victim personal statement, one of Sysum’s victims said: “Looking back on our relationship, it was like a prison sentence. I had such potential, but I can never be that person because of what Sysum did to me.

“I tried numerous times to get away from him. He treats women as disposable items after he charms himself into their lives.

“The rape will haunt me for the rest of my life. I often felt he was going to kill me. Sysum has completely destroyed my life. I now live in fear.

“I feel that Sysum wanted this trial to go ahead so as he could continue to humiliate me. But justice is always served in the end.”

A second victim stated: “My relationship with Sysum was a nightmare. He hurt me in ways that I didn’t think possible.

“Sysum’s behaviour shows that he thinks women are his property. He used and abused me.

“I felt empty inside every day. He had me convinced that he loved me. I will carry his scars for the rest of my life. My confidence in men will never be the same.

“I am still frightened to this day. I still wake up in a cold sweat. However the guilty verdict has enabled me to pick up the pieces of my life.”

A third victim said in a statement: “When Sysum came into my life he was in dark place. He saw me as vulnerable and he comforted me so I let him in.

“Luckily our relationship didn’t last long, as he is incapable of showing any respect to women."

The fourth victim said that being with Sysum was the worst experience of her life and added: “He was such a drain on me. He always had to be the centre of attention. I was so depressed I started drinking as I constantly lived in fear of what he might do to me.

“During the summer of our relationship he racked up so many debts in my name, that I am still paying back today.

“Sysum is a horrible excuse for a man who made me feel worthless. In hindsight I didn’t really need him.

“However the jury’s guilty verdict has put me on the road to recovery. Sysum told me that I would never be an independent woman. I am now.”

Kannan Siva, for Sysum, said: “He must accept the jury’s verdict, but it seems from his pre-sentence report that he is reluctant to do so.

“However there are signs that he is slowly improving as he is taking medication for his disorder.

“Sysum has been subjected to incalculable cruelty in the past.

“The jury heard all the evidence and will realise that Sysum was not totally at fault.”

Judge Lawrie interjected: “I saw Sysum’s evidence and that is not the view I formed.”

Judge Lawrie stated that because members of the jury and the complainants had made their way to court, he had decided to announced his sentence today but will formally disclose his reasons for it in full on Monday, Feb 21.

The judge ordered that Sysum be subject to the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for life and remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Judge Lawrie spoke to the complainants after sentencing Sysum and told them that they were instrumental to the court process in having the courage to give evidence at Sysum's trial.

He appreciated that they would have found the ordeal uncomfortable and added: "The court admires your courage and there is nothing I can say that will take the pain away."

The judge also praised the police officers in the case and said that he would be recommending that they receive commendations for their work in bringing this case to court.