Description
A man who burnt a womans ankle with heated hair straighteners and forced her to stand naked in front of her bedroom window for half an hour 'like a Blair Witch' before he raped her has been jailed for 13 years.
At Gloucester crown court yesterday (Oct 1), Jordan Bibby, 22, of Penda Close, Sedbury, nr Chepstow, was unanimously found guilty by a jury of eight men and four women of raping the woman at her home on February 11th 2018.
Judge Ian Lawrie QC told Bibby: You controlled your victim through fear. The rape has had a significant impact on her life, the effects of which will be long-lasting. She has been left with emotional scars which the passage of time will not diminish."
Prosecutor Charles Thomas told the court the woman, who was 20 at the time, was driving home when she saw Bibby, whom she knew, standing on a roundabout in Chepstow just before 2am.
"She stopped to speak to him," said Mr Thomas. "He demanded that he take her to Newport. She refused and said she would take him back to Sedbury.
The woman stopped a short distance from Bibbys home address and indicated to him to get out. It was at this point that he became aggressive towards her and ordered her to continue driving to her home.
During a heated argument he deliberately broke the indicator stick on her steering wheel.
When they arrived at her address he pushed her against a wall, after which she fell down to the ground, and he snatched her car keys from her. He drove off in her car before but returned a few minutes later.
The victim said that when they got back Bibby grabbed me by my hair and dragged me to my flat, on the top floor of the building.
He was ever so angry about something, he started whacking me. I was hysterical and I kept begging him to stop.
The court was told that Bibby began punching the womans waist and the lower part of her body and he used her hairbrush as a weapon. He repeatedly struck her on her hand.
"He then got hold of my heated hair straighteners and clamped them around my ankle," she said.
It immediately burnt my skin and when I screamed he tightened his grip. I begged him to stop.
He then made be stand naked in front of my bedroom window for a long time. It made me feel vulnerable.
He then ordered me to stand in the corner. If I went to move hed threaten me.
I pleaded with him to let me go to the toilet. He wouldnt. But after what seemed a long time he did eventually let me go.
When I came back into the bedroom, he told me to get into the bed and massage his private parts. Again I said no.
I told him in no uncertain terms no and it was at this point he tried to rape me. It only lasted 20 seconds before he gave up as he was unable to sustain an erection.
When I woke up the next morning he was still in my flat and acted as if nothing had happened.
The jury was told that the next day the woman contacted the police in Chepstow to report the incident but was told that she would need to report it to Gloucestershire Police. She initially declined to go to Gloucester, but changed her mind three months later.
The prosecutor explained to the court that even though there was a three month delay in the woman reporting to the police that she had been raped, she had spoken to trusted work colleagues and told them that she had been raped a few days after the incident and told them that it 'was her worst birthday ever.'
Lloyd Jenkins, defending, told the jury: Yes he was aggressive and he absconded with her car - and he admits to pulling the womans hair and marching her into her flat and assaulting her.
However he doesnt accept that he forced her to stand naked in front of the window like a Blair Witch, nor did he rape her.
He said there was no sex, therefore there was no rape. In effect it is a binary decision. The woman says it was 20 seconds. He said it never happened.
Did he rape the woman 31 months ago? When you factor everything into your deliberations the observations submitted on behalf of Bibby but if there is an element of doubt and where there is doubt you must give the benefit to the defendant. I invite you to find him not guilty.
While waiting for the trial to be held, the court was told that Bibby had to deal with the effects of his mothers suicide and the death of a 17-year-old nephew in a car accident.
Judge Lawrie turned to Bibby and said: Rape is one of the most serious offences. I have listened to the short but compelling evidence from the victim.
You adopted an abusive approach towards this woman. You exploited her inexperience of life especially in the lead up to the rape itself.
You were controlling and took advantage of her generosity of her spirit.
You contested the case and I see little remorse for your actions. You effectively conducted this trial through gritted teeth.
You used the womans hair straighteners to burn the skin of her ankle. You controlled her through fear. You forced her to stand naked in the window, making her feel very vulnerable.
Ive read the victims revised statement which in summary she states the rape has had a significant impact on her life, the effects of which will be long-lasting. You will have left emotional scars on her for the rest of her life which the passage of time will not diminish.
I suggest you read it and reflect on it while you serve the next 13 years in prison.
The judge ordered that Bibby should sign the sex offenders register for life and be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order not to contact his victim. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of 170.
"**Detective Superintendent Steve Bean of Gloucestershire Police said after the case Id like to pay tribute to the victim in this case.
She has shown immense personal strength and resilience and I hope that she now finds some level of closure after suffering such traumatic events.
We absolutely recognise the impact of domestic abuse and sexual offending and work very closely with our partners in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to ensure that everything is done to prosecute such cases and achieve justice for the victims.
If you, or someone that you know is being subjected to similar offences, please do not suffer in silence; please report it.
Id like to reassure everyone that reports will be treated seriously, sensitively and in the strictest confidence. We can also access support through a number of agencies that deal specifically with victims of this type of offending."
Heidi Price, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, said: This sentence reflects the serious nature of these offences, which were carried out against a vulnerable victim.
No one could fail to be moved by the victims personal statement, in which she detailed the long-term effects of the abuse she suffered. The impact of such offences can be devastating and can last a lifetime.
That is why the CPS is committed to working with the police and other criminal justice partners to protect victims and bring offenders to justice."