Suroj Bk 27

Description

A man crept into a woman's house in the dead of night and sexually assaulted her as she slept in her bed next to her boyfriend, a court has heard. Suroj Bk at first denied being in the property at all but later claimed the allegation was some kind of fantasy on the part of the victim.

Sending the 27-year-old defendant to prison, a judge said he was aware there were people who knew Bk and who did not believe the incident had taken place - he said those people were "either totally blinkered or incredibly gullible". The victim of the sexual assault has life-long legal anonymity.

Swansea Crown Court heard the sexual assault took place at a property in Ceredigion last year when the defendant entered the woman's property at night, climbed into her bed, and touched her legs and genitals as she slept next to her boyfriend. In a statement read to the court by prosecution barrister Georgia Donohue, the victim said the sexual assault had "damaged her life in every conceivable way". She said she had been unable to return to work after the incident and left the area where it happened, and now experiences "graphic nightmares" about the assault. The woman said her parents had been left "heartbroken" about what happened to their daughter.

Suroj Bk, of Llangrannog, Ceredigion, had previously been convicted at trial of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and of sexual assault when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. Dyfed Thomas, for Bk, said references before the court spoke of the good work the defendant had done in Nepal and India and during his time in Wales, and attested to his "exemplary character". He said Bk was married with two young children and "did something stupid when in drink which he simply would not have done otherwise", describing the conviction as a "spectacular fall from grace" for his client. The barrister said he had been told that a custodial sentence of four years would be "fatal" to the defendant's application to remain in the UK.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said on the evidence heard at trial it was clear that on the night in question the defendant had far too much to drink and entered the complainant's home with the intent to sexually assault her. He said Bk had then denied the offence claiming the victim had "in some way been fantasising about what happened", calling the defence the defendant put before the jury as "one of the most implausible I have heard in some time". The judge said the sexual assault had had a profound effect on the victim which could not be overestimated, and he said it was "of great concern" to him that her position has been made much worse by people in the local area who believed she had been making up the allegations - he said those people were "either totally blinkered or incredible gullible".

Judge Thomas said he had read letters and references submitted to the court on behalf of the defendant - including one from the guru at Skanda Vale temple - and accepted Bk was well thought of, though he added those people had likely only seen Bk's "positive, sober side". The defendant was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, and will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of a restraining order banning him from trying to contact his victim or posting anything about her on social media. The judge said whether Bk was allowed to remain in the UK after serving his sentence was a matter for others and not for the court.

Speaking after the sentencing Dyfed-Powys Police detective inspector Sam Gregory, the officer in charge of the case, praised the courage of the victim in coming forward. She said: "Incidents of this nature are thankfully very rare within Ceredigion, and I’d like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident, and that the identification and arrest of the suspect was done quickly and efficiently. The victim in this case demonstrated tremendous courage in reporting to police, and while this investigation was not straightforward in its nature, it was through the expertise and tenacity of forensic officers, working together with the investigation team, and the victim, that led to this successful prosecution. I hope the sentence given to Suroj Bk sends a clear and strong message that Dyfed-Powys Police takes reports of sexual offences seriously. We will listen to you, and we will work tirelessly to get justice."