Rapist Thomas O'Connor is facing a long prison sentence after being found guilty of a series of brutal sex attacks.

Barman O'Connor raised his middle finger and shouted "I hope you die in pain" to the jury after they delivered their verdict.

O'Connor, 30, of Middle Crockerford, Basildon, was found guilty of four rapes, two indecent assaults and threatening to kill his 29-year-old victim during his long "reign of terror".

For more on this story see 'Rapist admitted murdering his brutal father ' in Newsround After the verdict was given on Tuesday, the shocked jury was told O'Connor had stabbed to death his bullying father in 1985 at Clayburn Circle in Basildon.

He had tried to cover up the evidence and make it look like his father had committed suicide, but later confessed to detectives.

The Basildon Crown Court jury took nearly six hours to reach a majority verdict.

Jason O'Connor, 26, of Brooke House, Basildon, was found not guilty of raping and indecent assaulting the same woman with his brother Thomas.

A third brother, Robert, 29, was cleared earlier in the trial of raping the same woman while Christopher O'Connor, 25, had also been cleared of indecently assaulting the victim.

The court heard in harrowing detail how Thomas O'Connor had subjected the mother-of-two to a series of horrifying rapes and degrading sex assaults between 1990 and May 1997 at his Vange home.

He would often tie her up, blindfold and gag her before beating her up and forcing her to take part in obscene sexual acts.

At one stage he threatened to kill the divorcee if she spurned his advances.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Con Jack Bowler, of Basildon CID, said O'Connor was one of the most dangerous men he had met.

He said: "He is a very dangerous man and I'm glad the jury reached a sensible verdict."

He also praised the victim's courage in the witness box during the seven-day hearing. He said: "She has got a new life to lead - she's been released from this reign of terror."

O'Connor has spent much of his life involved in crime. In 1992 he was sentenced to six years in prison for robbing two greengrocers of £1,360 at the Laindon Centre.

He will be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court tomorrow (Friday).

Thomas O'Connor - convicted rapist and self-confessed killer

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