A BASINGSTOKE man who poisoned a woman with a substance he bought online before attempting to rape her has been jailed for seven years.

Salisbury Crown Court heard how Anthony Nish, of Falkland Road, carried out two "cruel and coercive" assaults on the victim in 2018.

He raped the woman in March 2018 and carried out a second “sinister” attack in July of the same year, in which he “attempted to stupefy” her with poison, intending to sexually assault her again.

Nish, 52, who was last week sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in a separate case for his involvement in a major county lines drug network in the town, was a “firm user” of crack cocaine.

On Wednesday afternoon, the court heard that Nish was “obsessed” with who the woman was spending time with and hacked her social media accounts.

On March 26 2018 he went to her house “demanding answers” and told her he had photos which he would share with her work colleagues if she didn’t sleep with him.

She took off her clothes, and he raped her, while she was “crying and begging him to stop.”

Mr Charles Gabb, prosecuting, told the court that the woman described him as “not violent, but very forceful.”

The woman did not feel able to tell the police at that time and Nish was texting her with many apologies and saying he wouldn’t do it again.

However, Mr Gabb added that it was “something of a hollow promise” because, on July 25 2018 he returned to her house, “intent on some kind of show down”.

He came round just after one o’clock in the morning. Things “seemed to be going reasonably ok” but then Nish went to the toilet, where he stayed for an unusually long time.

He had brought with him a bottle of a “noxious substance” which he had bought on Amazon the previous month.

In the toilet, he put some onto a handkerchief, came back into the living room and clamped his hand around her face.

What he did not expect, the court heard, was how much she struggled against him.

She was “struck immediately by the pungent smell and burning sensation.”

He had another go, and she started to scream and woke up others in the household.

Nish then tried to make out it was him being attacked and hastily exited the property.

The police were called and the woman was taken to hospital, along with one police officer who was also affected by the substance due to the smell and “stinging sensation”.

Mr Gabb, prosecuting, said the victim identified Nish as her attacker but when police arrived at his house he "peddled a complete pack of lies", claiming to be the one who was attacked.

Mr Gabb added that his "story fell apart" when he was interviewed in more detail.

In a impact statement, the victim said it was the "most frightening experience" of her life and said that Nish's apologies that followed were “worthless to me.”

“It is not like he had broken something in my home. He had raped me,” she said.

“I regret not going to the police because if I had, the incident in July may not have happened.

“I didn’t know what to do. I found I was jumpy and felt uncomfortable in what should have been my safe place, my home.”

Speaking of the attack in July 2018, she added: “I remember looking Nish in the eyes and could see he was possessed. His eyes were glazed over. It was like he was there, but not there.

“It was the most frightening experience of my life.”

Nish was due to stand trial for the offences when he appeared at Salisbury Crown Court on November 23, but he changed his plea to guilty, which the court heard was a last-minute “change of heart”.

In mitigation, Ms Mary Aspinall-Miles, defending, said he had “sought solace” from rejection in “all the wrong places and all the wrong ways.”

She said: “There is no attempt to minimise the distress caused.”

The court heard that Nish had taken to self-medicating and had experienced a lot of childhood trauma, including his father leaving him when he was nine, and seeing his father being stabbed when he was 16.

Referencing the fact that, while Nish had several previous drug-related convictions, he had never been guilty of anything of this type before, Ms Aspinall-Miles added: “Crack cocaine is evil. It was out of character for him to behave in the way that he did.”

She also pointed out that his decision to admit guilt saved all involved from having to give evidence.

In a statement read in court, Nish said: “I lost myself in drugs and became something where I had no feeling of control, which was not who I was.

He added: “I wish I could take it back. I have to live with it, and I hope one day she may be able to forgive me, I am so sorry.”

Judge Andrew Barnett said: “You cruelly and coercively raped her. It quite plainly scarred her, but worse was to follow.

“You visited her again, and this time bringing ether which you had been taking as part of your drug abuse. You dowsed the rag with the ether and attempted to stupefy her with the intent of a sexual offence against her."

Describing the poisonous substance, historically used as an anaesthetic, Judge Barnett added: “That means you would have complete power and control over anybody to whom you administered it and that is one of the most sinister factors of this case.”

Judge Barnett gave Nish a seven-year custodial sentence, extended for two years, which means he will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least two-thirds of the sentence.

“It seems to me that you are a dangerous man. You must learn that this sort of behaviour is completely inexpiable, and the public must be protected from you,” said Judge Barnett.