Locations
Edinburgh Street, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14
Description
A teenage rapist has been jailed for seven and a half years for forcing himself on a girl in York.
Police have praised the girl for her “incredible courage” in coming forward and giving evidence against Brandon Hewlett.
York Crown Court heard the crimes happened some years ago when Hewlett was a teenager.
Hewlett, now aged 21, of Edinburgh Street, Goole, East Yorkshire, denied four charges of rape and an online sex offence. The jury convicted him of three of the rapes and the online offence.
They were unable to agree on the fourth rape charge and he was formally acquitted of it after the CPS decided not to retry him on it.
Recorder Tahir Khan read a personal statement from the girl in which she described the effect of Hewlett’s crimes on her.
He told Hewlett: “I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that there was psychological harm done to her as a result of what you did.”
He jailed Hewlett for seven and a half years.
Hewlett will be on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.
Had Hewlett been older at the time of the rapes, he would have been jailed for 10 years, said the judge.
DS Mike Hewitt, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “The victim in this case showed incredible courage to stand up to Hewlett, and with the support of her family and friends she was able to provide evidence against him.
“Her strength and bravery saw him convicted of the horrendous crimes he committed against her – and will also prevent others becoming victims of Hewlett’s depraved behaviour.”
Hewlett had no convictions before he was convicted at the end of his trial in November. He was then remanded in custody.
Julian Goode, for Hewlett, said he had found life behind bars hard and had been assaulted on two separate occasions.
“He is the author of his own demise,” said the defence barrister.
He handed in a document as part of his mitigation, the contents of which he did not make public and which was read by the judge.
The defence barrister said that since Hewlett had been remanded, the defendant’s partner had had problems.
She had health difficulties and Hewlett had been her help and looked after her.
Since November, she had found life looking after herself increasingly hard.
North Yorkshire Police said anyone who believed they had been raped or sexually assaulted could contact them online, by phone or in person.
If the person felt unable to talk to police, the force’s website has details of organisations to whom they could speak in confidence and get support, advice and medical help.