The Evening Chronicle in Newcastle has won the right to name a 15-year-old boy who has been jailed for life for raping a middle-aged woman.

Court reporter Garry Willey successfully appealed for a Section 39 order not to be imposed at the sentencing of the boy.

The rapist was just 14 when he smashed his way into the 45-year-old woman's flat before savagely beating her and raping his victim at knife-point.

Reporter Garry wrote to Newcastle Crown Court Judge David Hodson prior to sentencing asking for the right to name the youth.

He wrote: "Despite his young age, we should be allowed to name him on the grounds that the offence is so serious that the public interest demands it."

Judge Hodson agreed not to impose a Section 39 order, despite claims from the boy's defence team that naming him would harm his future rehabilitation and impact on his family.

It will now be up to the parole board to decide when the teenager is safe to be released back into the community.

Chronicle editor Paul Robertson said: "The savagery of Stewart's attack was truly shocking.

"The judge commented on the severity of the victim's injuries and felt there was no other option than to impose the life sentence to protect women from further attacks.

"Because of this, we felt it was in the public interest to name Stewart and that this outweighed the defence lawyers' argument about the effect the publicity would have.

"Garry did a fantastic job in preventing the Section 39 order being imposed."

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