A rapist has had his appeal against his near 19-year prison sentence dismissed.

Jon-Paul Fayle, 32, subjected a woman to a horrific, sustained attack in which she thought she would die.

The Douglas man was found guilty of rape and a number of indecent assaults, among other offences, following a trial last year. He was sentenced to 18 years and nine months in January for rape, attempted rape, three indecent assaults and coercive and controlling behaviour.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

During the attack, which took place over several hours on November 24 and into November 25, 2023, Fayle choked his victim a number of times, sexually assaulted her on several occasions and raped her.

She told him repeatedly she did not want to have sex with him, but he continued to indecently assault her.

She again asked him to leave her alone before he choked her and assaulted her again, with the pattern repeating throughout the night. At one stage, she thought she was going to die.

When she tried to leave, Fayle locked the door and hid the key. At one point, she tried to throw a television through a window to call for help.

Eventually, in the morning, she managed to leave, saying she was going to the shop. She then told staff what had happened and police were called.

Deemster Cook described the woman’s ordeal as ‘harrowing’ and said Fayle had shown no remorse.

Fayle was sentenced to 18 years and nine months for rape, with an uplift to reflect the other offences and aggravating features.

During a Court of Appeal hearing on Friday, his advocate Stephen Wood addressed Judge of Appeal Anthony Cross and Deemster Michael Hopmeier.

He said: ‘The overall sentence imposed on the appellant was manifestly excessive.’

The court heard Deemster Graeme Cook adopted a starting point of 10 years, increased to 13 due to the level of violence. Four years were added for the additional offences and a further two for aggravating features, including previous convictions and lack of remorse. The sentence was then reduced by three months for mitigation.

Mr Wood did not dispute the increased starting point but said: ‘This sentence was not just a little too long but manifestly too long.’

However, appeal judges raised concerns as to why the coercive and controlling behaviour offence had not been made consecutive, as it was separate and over a different period.

Prosecutor Kathryn Johnson rejected the argument, saying: ‘This was a set of particularly serious offences.’

Dismissing the appeal, Judge Cross said: ‘The sentence was not manifestly excessive. This was grave offending over a significant period. He abused, controlled and raped a young woman.

‘We are not surprised the probation officer concluded he posed a high risk of serious harm to the public.’

The court also considered imposing an extended licence, which would have increased the period of supervision, but decided against doing so.