A family who waited two-and-a-half years to see the man who raped their mother jailed say they felt 'completely let down' until the sentence.

Anthony Holloway was jailed for 13 years at Norwich Crown Court on Friday with another five years on licence.

He raped a 60-year-old woman who has dementia at her Sprowston home in December 2015.

But the 53-year old was not jailed until Friday because of long court delays.

When the case finally went to trial in September 2017, Holloway lied to the court, stating his uncle had died. The trial was stopped and the sentencing was then further delayed.

The victim's son said he was 'over the moon' with sentence.

But he added: 'We have had such a difficult time accepting how the courts have performed.'

He said when Holloway managed to stop the trial by lying to the court he felt 'a crushing disappointment'.

The son and his wife were faced with the prospect of having to give evidence for a second time in Holloway's new trial.

But the rapist changed his plea to guilty for the charge of sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice, meaning the trial did not have to go ahead.

But Holloway then delayed proceedings again by trying to change his plea to not guilty.

That meant more court hearings had to be held.

'The let-downs after (the trial) became almost comedic,' her son said.

'They just couldn't get justice for my mum. It was very upsetting.

'We felt completely let down. It prolonged the suffering for us.'

But he said it was the court system which was ultimately at fault. 'The delays were caused by someone who was able to manipulate the system,' he added.

The condition of his mum has worsened since the attack but he remembers her as a caring and loving person.

'She brought us up as a single mum while working as a nurse,' he said. 'She dedicated her life to public service.

'She worked her socks off to better herself for her boys.

'She was a loving and caring and very intelligent woman and she never gave up trying to provide a better future for me and my brother.'