Description
A sex offender prisoner told his cellmate he 'wanted him to feel like his victims felt' before raping him. Rahmijah Hindes was locked up at HMP Risley, in Warrington, after sexually assaulting a teenage girl who was walking home from a chip shop.
The 24-year-old was only months away from ending his time behind bars. But after becoming disgruntled about sharing a room with another man, Hindes told his cellmate to pull his trousers down before raping him, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday (September 2).
The court heard Hindes, of no fixed address, had 'taken an illicit substance' before he carried out the attack on his fellow prisoner. The complainant in his latest offence was serving time in relation to indecent images of children, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Simon Christie, prosecuting, described how both men had been transferred to HMP Risley and were sharing a cell overnight on a wing for vulnerable prisoners. Hindes told the inmate he 'wanted him to feel like his victims felt', pushed him onto the bottom bunk bed, told him to take his trousers down and raped him.
He then retired to his own bed and went to sleep. The victim reported the incident to members of prison staff the following morning. When arrested, Hindes denied that any sexual activity had taken place.
But his DNA was subsequently discovered on intimate swabs which had been taken from the other prisoner. This led to him being re-arrested, at which point he changed his account and said that they had engaged in consensual sex.
Hindes has a total of 15 previous convictions for 23 offences. HIs criminal record includes two years in a young offenders' institute for robbery and possession of a bladed article in a public place in 2016.
He was serving time after following a 17-year-old girl who was walking home from a Garston chippy. He pushed her to the ground and forced his hands down her shorts before he ran away when she screamed for help.
Phillip Tully, defending, told the court: "Both men had been ordered by the prison to share a cell overnight. This is not a case where Mr Hindes engineered a setting where he was alone with the complainant to be able to commit the offence.
"Mr Hindes was unhappy about having to share a cell, and then he says the offence was committed. He accepts, through me, that this would have been a very unpleasant and frightening incident for the complainant.
"To his credit, it is quite clear that he has shown remorse and insight into the impact that this would have had upon the complainant in this case. He is still a very young man who has experienced a very difficult childhood and upbringing.
"It appears that they had been moved prisons. He was expecting to be on his own and he found it a very stressful situation. He took a very foolish and stupid decision to commit this offence in relation to the person in the cell with him.
"Even though he had an extremely difficult childhood, he went to school and obtained qualifications and had a work record. He is also someone who has been diagnosed with ADHD, depression and anxiety - a young man who has had to cope with all of these things himself in his very short life."
Hindes admitted one count of rape. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for six years and three months - of which he must serve at least two thirds behind bars before becoming eligible for release - and handed an additional five years on licence.
Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "The emotional impact on him has been immense. He has been left feeling wary, anxious and frightened. He has suffered from nightmares. You focussed that evening more on your own satisfaction than caring at all for him. While you now show insight and remorse, you did not show any that night at all.
"Of particular significance in this case is the conviction you have in relation to the offences of assault and sexual assault. You took advantage of this man who was in a vulnerable position, locked in a cell with you. He felt intimidated by you.
"In my judgement, there is an escalation in this case in the seriousness of offending. You were focussed on satisfying your own needs and lacked self control. It is particularly concerning that, despite the fact that you have carried out sex offender treatment programmes, you still went on to offend in a sexual way that evening."
Hindes was also handed an indefinite restraining order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.