A SALES manager has been found guilty of raping a terrified teenage girl he pounced on outside an Essex nightclub.Paul Clare, 43, attacked the 16-year-old as she left Chicago's Rock Café at Freeport in Braintree.

By Annie Davidson

A SALES manager has been found guilty of raping a terrified teenage girl he pounced on outside an Essex nightclub.

Paul Clare, 43, attacked the 16-year-old as she left Chicago's Rock Café at Freeport in Braintree.

He knocked the victim to the ground before raping her in an alleyway, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Yesterday, a jury of 10 women and two men found Clare, of Little Hallingbury, Bishop Stortford, guilty of rape. He will be sentenced after a psychiatric report is carried out.

It was then revealed that Clare, who was born in the UK, was convicted of a sex-related bomb hoax in Perth, Australia, in 1993.

The previous year he had been convicted of a sex-related burglary, also in Australia.

During the recent trial, the jury heard that Clare approached the victim as she left Chicago's in the early hours of November 20, 2004.

He offered to walk with her and as they did he tried to kiss her.

The teenager rejected his advance and told him he was too old, and Clare then forced her to the ground and put his hand over her mouth, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Although the victim managed to break free and run away, Clare caught up with her and raped her.

Judge John Devaux said he was still considering the continuing danger Clare posed to the public and asked for a psychiatric report to be prepared. Clare was remanded in custody until his sentencing date which will be arranged later.

After yesterday's hearing, Neil Luckett, deputy senior investigating officer with Essex police, said: “The victim, her family and the investigation team are pleased with the conviction of Paul Clare for the rape of a teenage girl in November 2004 at Freeport near Braintree.

“We hope that the victim, with support from her family, can now start to rebuild her life and move on from this dreadful assault.”

Regarding the sex-related bomb hoax, Judge John Devaux said: “The victim was a lady who worked for a real estate company.

“She began getting disturbing phone calls with heavy breathing. The caller said he was in her home, he actually described her home, and said he was lying on her bed masturbating.

“She received another call accurately saying what she had done in her lunch break and described her sitting in her office.

“He said he would blow the place up if she did not place her hands in her knickers and play with herself. A suspicious box, although harmless, was found by police.”

Judge Devaux added that a further threatening phone call was traced to the defendant who was working at a tile firm where the woman had bought tiles months earlier.

She said Clare had been to her office on several occasions since then and asked her to show him around various properties.

The jury heard during the case that in 1992 Clare, who was charged with burglary, was found hiding in a wardrobe in a woman's house in Australia.

He had been armed with a knife and had with him a vibrator, condoms and sexual lubricants.