I married my rapist after he sexually assaulted me

A RAPE victim has told how she agreed to marry the ‘absolute monster’ – after he sexually assaulted her.

Caroline Lyons, 42, admitted she didn’t know how to say no when dominating Steven Noon insisted that they fly to Thailand together and tie the knot.

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But she later bravely united with two other victims to testify against the brute, also 42, who was locked in a cage for 16-and-a-half years for a series of crimes. horror attacks spanning two decades.

Now she has waived her right to anonymity to speak about her ordeal – two years after he was nailed on the Supreme Court. Court in Edinburgh.

Caroline, from Haddington, East Lothian, told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: “I married a rapist, a serial attacker, an absolute monster. He had been my childhood sweetheart.

“I thought it was a fairytale, but it turned into a nightmare.

“He raped me before my wedding. I didn’t want to marry him.

“But he controlled me so deeply that I couldn’t find a way to say no.

‘While he was planning us wedding That day I was planning my escape.

When I found out he had attacked others women we came together to get justice.

‘He’s behind now beams and they must lock the door and throw away the key.”

Caroline and Noon first went out when they were 16 years old school.
They drifted apart, but years later she was thrilled to meet his Facebook profile after her previous marriage ended in 2015.

The mom of four recalled: “I was thrilled when I found it online.

‘I often wondered what happened to him.

“We agreed to meet and as soon as I saw him it felt like no time had passed, it felt so good.

‘He really was funny and would make me laugh.

“He was charming, always complimented me, he opened doors for me and treated me respectfully, just like when we were together children.

“The electricity was still there.”

Within two months, window cleaner Noon had moved in.

But he started putting pressure on Caroline all the time sex.

Another red flag came when she received a message from a woman urging her to flee Noon because he had raped and assaulted her.

Initially, Caroline refused to believe her claims.

But she recalled: ‘One night when I rejected his advances, Steven forced me to have sex.

“He went on and asked me for sex. He knocked me down. I gave in to get him to stop.

“I felt a deep discomfort afterwards that it was wrong.”

“He controlled me so deeply that I couldn’t find a way to say no.”

Another night, after taking sleeping medication, she woke up in horror to find Noon violating her.

She pushed him away and then demanded him to leave the next day.

But Noon begged to be taken back. Customer service advisor Caroline admitted: “He vowed he would change.

‘I wasn’t even sure I loved him. I just didn’t know how to say no.

“I was so emotionally connected to him, like I was under a spell. I felt like I was in the middle of a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from.”

“What I endured was the darkest chapter of my life.”

When he got back together, he insisted that they get married. Caroline revealed: “We had a fairytale wedding and honeymoon in Thailand.”

But upon their return, Noon’s sexual demands resumed At home and at last she found the strength to tell him that he must leave for good.

Weeks later, while we were away shoppingshe encountered a third victim who revealed that Noon had attacked her.

Caroline reconnected with the woman who had reached out earlier, as the trio set out to seek justice.

She said: “I apologized because I didn’t believe her.

‘I knew what the other women told me was the truth as he had done the same thing to me.

“I was so emotionally connected to him, like I was under a spell. I felt like I was in the middle of a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from.”

‘I couldn’t do that live where I knew he would move on and do the same with another woman.

“I picked up the phone and told the police Police everything and so did the other two women.

Police subsequently launched an investigation. And Noon was caught with sixteen violations between 1999 and 2021 rapesexual raidattack on Danger of life and abuse, during a trial in December 2022.

“I couldn’t live with myself knowing he would move on and do the same thing to another woman.”

Caroline explained why she decided to open up about her trauma now: ‘What I went through was the darkest chapter of my life.

“But I share my story to remind others. If a man violates your boundaries or forces you to do something you don’t want to do, that’s a crime.

‘I would like to thank the other victims for coming.

“After his conviction we contacted each other and said ‘we have him’.

“It is never too late to seek justice.”