A FORMER driving instructor and decorated soldier who “humiliated” his victim was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of rape and assault.

Michael Poole, 50, of Lansdowne Road, Newport, was condemned by a judge for his “unforgivable” offending as well as for showing no remorse.

The defendant, who used to run the Ddraig Goch School of Motoring in Pontypool, was sent to prison for 18 weeks in 2016 for inappropriate behaviour while working as a driving instructor.

Poole was convicted by Newport magistrates of using threatening, abusive, insulting words, or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress to female learner drivers.

Just before Christmas he was found guilty by a jury after a trial of the rape, indecent assault and assault occasioning bodily harm of a woman.

Prosecutor Nigel Fryer, who was also the trial counsel, told Newport Crown Court how the 2016 conviction was Poole’s only previous offence.

Ruth Smith, mitigating, said: “The defendant is a hard-working man who had served in the armed forces on active duty in hostile regions and wars.”

She said that Poole, formerly of New Inn, Pontypool, had been decorated with medals during his military career and that he had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of his latest offending.

Miss Smith added that he was finding it hard to readjust to civilian life.

She told the judge, Recorder Greg Bull QC, how her client had received counselling for anger management and currently had health problems.

His barrister urged the court to keep the inevitable custodial sentence as short as possible.

The judge told Poole: “You were discharged after a distinguished military career – that is a positive and good part of your background.”

But Recorder Bull added that he had committed “unforgivable” offences against his victim and told him: “You humiliated her”.

He said: “You have shown no contrition for what happened.”

The defendant was jailed for a total of 11 years and told he will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Outside the court, Detective Sergeant Nathan Sparkes, of Gwent Police, said: "We are pleased with this result and hope that it brings some comfort to the victim."