Rapist branded 'a dangerous predator' by judge has prison sentence cut

Ekene Anoliefo: The rapist had his jail term cut from 12 to nine years.© STV

The son of a prominent Nigerian politician has had his jail sentence for raping a woman in Aberdeen reduced from 12 years to nine.

Ekene Anoliefo, who was branded “a dangerous predator” by a judge, succeeded in having his prison term cut at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old rapist was jailed in May 2009 for the brutal rape of a 19-year-old woman in July 2008.
He was also convicted of six breach of the peace charges and an assault charge - however, these charges were later quashed by the Appeal Court in August 2012.

During his 2009 trial, the High Court in Aberdeen heard how Anoliefo stopped his car, pretending to help the teenager who had spent the night drinking with pals in a nightclub.

Once she was inside the vehicle, he refused to let her leave and drove her to his flat in city's Powis Place.
He then forced the terrified teen to watch pornography which he had downloaded on his computer before he forced her onto a bed, pinned her down, ripped off her clothes and raped her.

The court heard that his victim had suffered lasting psychological damage as a result.

Anoliefo, whose father is a politician in a regional Nigerian parliament, came to Scotland to study software engineering at Aberdeen University, was hoping to start a career in the Nigerian oil industry.
Passing sentence, judge Lord Pentland told Anoliefo: "You are, in my view, a dangerous predator who has not the slightest respect for women."

On Wednesday, Anoliefo's legal team succeeded in having his term for the rape charge cut by three years. Defence solicitor advocate Simon Collins told appeal court judges Lord Carloway, Lady Smith and Lord MacKay that the 12-year sentence was imposed because his client had been convicted of rape, assault and breach of the peace.

Mr Collins told the court that because the assault and breach of the peace convictions had been quashed, the 12 year term was "excessive".

Mr Collins also said that Anoliefo was a first offender and that a more lenient sentence should be imposed.
The Appeal Court judges agreed with Mr Collins and substituted the old term with the new one.
Anoliefo was told that he would be deported back to Nigeria upon his release from prison.
Lord Carloway said: "Your actions were entirely predatory. However, we agree with the essence of the appellant's submission.

"We have decided to substitute the 12 year term for nine years."

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