A former army cook accused of committing a string of sex offences while he was living in Colchester, Germany and Northern Ireland has been convicted of rape.

Before Ipswich Crown Court was Norman Maddox, formerly of Colchester, who had denied a string of offences including five of rape, five of indecent assault, five involving gross indecency and two of assault causing actual bodily harm. The offences were alleged to have been committed between 1974 and 1988.

Today (Monday) he was found guilty of one offence of rape and one of assault causing actual bodily harm.

He was cleared of three offences of rape, four offences of indecent assault, one offence of assault causing actual bodily harm and three involving gross indecency.

The case was adjourned until December 13 to allow the prosecution to decide if it is seeking a retrial on four charges the jury couldn’t reach verdicts on.

The court heard that the alleged offences came to the attention of the police in July 2014.