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Teen who raped woman and hit her with paving slab jailed for life Teen who raped woman and hit her with paving slab jailed for life
(35 minutes later)
Charlie Pearce, 17, to serve at least 11 years for attack of ‘animalistic savagery’ in LeicesterCharlie Pearce, 17, to serve at least 11 years for attack of ‘animalistic savagery’ in Leicester
Press AssociationPress Association
Fri 16 Feb 2018 16.14 GMT Fri 16 Feb 2018 16.56 GMT
Last modified on Fri 16 Feb 2018 16.34 GMT First published on Fri 16 Feb 2018 16.14 GMT
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A teenage rapist who bludgeoned a woman with a paving slab and left her for dead has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 11 years. An “exceptionally dangerous” teenage rapist who bludgeoned a woman with a paving slab and left her for dead in an act of “animalistic savagery” has been locked up for life.
Charlie Pearce carried out the attack on his 17th birthday in July last year, leaving his victim with her life “hanging by a thread”. Charlie Pearce carried out the attack on the woman on his 17th birthday in July, having researched rape online.
After a trial at Leicester crown court, he was found guilty of attempted murder. He had denied meaning to kill the woman, but admitted two counts of rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and stealing her handbag. He had denied meaning to kill the woman but admitted two counts of rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and stealing her handbag.
Sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said Pearce was “exceptionally dangerous” and had attacked the woman in Leicester city centre with “animalistic savagery”. The woman, who cannot be identified, said she had been mentally and physically scarred by the attack. Following a trial at Leicester crown court, he was found guilty of attempted murder, having left his victim with her life “hanging by a thread”.
In an emotional statement read out at the Old Bailey, she said: “I do not remember screaming when I was assaulted, though I am aware that screams were reported to the police by various people that night. Sentencing Pearce to life with a minimum term of 11 years at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said Pearce was “exceptionally dangerous” and attacked the woman with “animalistic savagery”.
“My screams did not stop my attacker from causing me further harm, and nor did they help me be found so I could receive medical care I needed. Knowing that my screams did not change anything for me that night continues to trouble me.” The judge said Pearce had carried out a “predatory attack” with a sexual or sadistic nature and had “intended to silence the victim forever”.
She described how her life and ambitions had been put on hold by Pearce’s actions. “The six months that have now passed since I was discharged from hospital amounts to an ongoing period of time that can never be gotten back, time which has been taken from me and from how I live my life, without my permission and against my wishes. “The defendant set out that evening to mark his 17th birthday to find a woman to attack and violently rape. He can be seen on CCTV circling the park and hunting [the victim] down as she walked through the park. The attack itself was of animalistic savagery. The offending was exceptionally serious.”
“I am reminded on a daily basis – and sometimes multiple times a day – of the extensive trauma my body has endured and my mind cannot remember happening to me.” The court heard Pearce had dragged the victim into undergrowth in Leicester’s Victoria Park and hit her over the head with a concrete slab.
The woman said she still suffered from jaw pain, loss of hearing in her right ear and had bald patches. They were all “physical reminders of the damage that was done to me by a complete stranger when I was walking home”, she said. The start of his attack was witnessed by youths in the park nearby who called police, but a police patrol was unable to find anything because of a lack of a precise location, the court heard.
“I am mentally scarred as well as physically scarred. I have had thoughts about hurting myself and ending my life, because I feel that I cannot live with the knowledge I have that what happened to me has happened to me.” About an hour later a passing cyclist spotted a pool of fresh blood and a hair clip on the ground.
The judge said she showed great bravery in going into the bushes to investigate and comfort the victim before emergency services arrived.
The victim, aged in her 20s, was rushed to hospital with horrific head injuries. The following day police circulated a “remarkably clear” CCTV image of Pearce running towards her holding the slab.
His family recognised him and contacted police following the media appeal. The victim awoke from a coma weeks later, unaware of what had happened.
As Pearce, of Clarendon Park, Leicester, appeared to be sentenced, she gave an emotional statement about the mental and physical scars.
She said: “I do not remember screaming when I was assaulted though I am aware that screams were reported to the police by various people that night.
“My screams did not stop my attacker from causing me further harm and nor did they help me be found so I could receive medical care I needed. Knowing that my screams did not change anything for me that night continues to trouble me.”
In mitigation, Phillip Bradley QC said: “She was the innocent victim of violence that was as gratuitous as it was unprovoked.”
He said Pearce accepted he was “entirely responsible” for that violence.
Mr Justice Haddon-Cave handed Pearce seven-and-a-half years’ custody for the rapes to run concurrently to his life sentence with no separate penalty for the other charges.
CrimeCrime
LeicesterLeicester
Rape and sexual assaultRape and sexual assault
newsnews
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