Mr Taylor has been sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment for what a judge described as “a campaign of rapes”. Vivian Walters prosecuted the case heard at Canterbury Crown Court.
Following the case, a brave victim and former girlfriend of Mr Taylor has waived her right to anonymity to warn others of the dangers of being abused and to encourage others to speak out.
Miss Screene has spoken of her 11-year nightmare at the hands of her boyfriend who repeatedly raped her and controlled her every move.
Prosecutor Vivian Walters told the jury during the trial against Mr Taylor:
“From 2006, the relationship deteriorated into a catalogue of violence and abuse; emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
“The abuse was often fuelled by the defendant’s use of drugs; at first cocaine and later steroids, and lasted many years, turning Kirsty Screene from the happy, confident young woman that she had been, into a terrified, humiliated and powerless individual, unable to escape or to tell anyone about the full extent of what was taking place in her own home.”
Mr Taylor has been jailed for a total of 23 years' imprisonment after being found guilty at Canterbury Crown Court of 30 offences of rape, sex abuse, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
The judge in the case, Recorder Mark Van Der Zwart commended Det Constable Natalie Davidson and civilian investigator Nicola Brown for their “exemplary” detective work, in bringing Taylor to justice.
He added: “They have shown the highest standards of care and performed their duties in an exemplary way in the way they investigated and prosecuted this case.”
Vivian has over twenty years' experience in prosecuting and defending serious crime. As a testament to Vivian's skills and experience, she is an appointed treasury counsel monitoree and standing counsel to the former RCPO. Vivian is an experienced criminal barrister and is instructed to prosecute both as leading counsel and alone. Vivian has particular expertise in complex frauds, white-collar crime, financial crime, proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture instructions.
