Victim tricked Driffield rapist Graham Kelly to save her own life

A WOMAN raped at knifepoint in a stable tricked her attacker into going back to her home for coffee to save her own life.

Graham Kelly, 59, jumped over a fence armed with an 8in carving knife and raped the woman in a stable near Beverley after stalking her for weeks.

The former quarry worker threatened to kill his victim after the attack.

But, in an attempt to save herself, the woman convinced Kelly she liked him and asked him back to her house so police could arrest him. The victim said: "It was coffee or kill me. I chose coffee."

The woman cried as a jury at Hull Crown Court took just 30 minutes to return a unanimous verdict, convicting Kelly of rape.

After the verdict, Detective Constable Claire Burnett said Kelly had a dangerous obsession with his victim.

DC Burnett said: "He pursued her relentlessly. He followed her, waited near her home and sent her text messages. Finally, he confronted her at knifepoint in an isolated location. The victim was understandably put in a terrified position.

"I am delighted with the verdict. Kelly will now be looking at a long term of imprisonment. "

Hull Crown Court heard Kelly had been stalking his victim for five weeks before he raped her.

The woman said: "He was obsessive, he showered me with texts.

"He left a letter saying he was going to end his life and he had chosen the tree where he was going to do it."

The woman knew Driffield murder victim Linda Merigo, the mother stabbed to death in front of her young son, and she feared Kelly was going to kill her.

"When he jumped over the fence with the knife in his hand, Linda Merigo flashed through my mind.

"I didn't have time to think, I couldn't get Linda off my mind.

"I was going to bleed to death in a field and never see my children again."

With the carving knife held to her side, the woman tried frantically to come up with a plan to save her life.

"I was thinking how can I get out of this without him getting me," she said.

"I was trying to convince him not to kill me. He had just raped me and said he was going to kill me.

"He asked for a coffee and I said 'Yes, I will make you a coffee'. I was safer knowing where he was and that the police were coming."

She told Kelly to come back to her home for coffee. But, as she cycled home, she saw an elderly neighbour and asked him to call the police.

Kelly was waiting for her outside her home and she let him in, making him a coffee.

He was arrested when the police arrived ten minutes after the neighbour called 999.

The court heard Kelly was an "obsessed fantasist", who waited in lay-bys for his victim and even stalked her at the supermarket.

Judge Mark Bury deferred sentence for reports.

He said: "This could be a one-off piece of behaviour, which will never be repeated but I'm concerned this man does have an obsession with her and if he were to be released after an ordinary sentence, he might still harbour resentment.

"I want to know more about him before I sentence him.

"If it is the case he is a ticking timebomb, the sentence will be indefinite."

Kelly, of Eastgate South, Driffield, will be sentenced next month.

As he was remanded in custody to await sentence, DC Burnett said the woman was relieved Kelly had been convicted of rape.

She said: "Throughout this ordeal, the victim has dealt with it in a dignified, respectful and brave manner. She is very relieved with the verdict."