Description
A violent offender who raped and stabbed a stranger in Benfleet has been given a 19-year extended sentence after a dynamic investigation put him behind bars.
Judge Samantha Cohen, sentencing 24-year-old Kyle Pauley at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday 8 January, said the evidence gathered against him by our Serious Crime Directorate was "utterly overwhelming".
Officers responded quickly following a call to us at around 11pm on Monday 22 September last year.
We were told a woman had been approached by a man, soon identified as Pauley, in the area of Villa Road Recreation Ground.
The victim reported the man followed her, threatened her with a knife and told her to do as he said.
She was taken to a nearby field, where the rape took place.
After this horrific ordeal, she made an attempt to push Pauley away, at which point she was stabbed once to her stomach area.
Thankfully the stab wound, while serious and lasting in its impact, did not prove life-threatening.
Pauley fled the scene and the woman made it home, where the first call to the ambulance service and our officers was made.
Catching a dangerous offender
Our investigation immediately began in earnest.
Officers acted on the description given by the victim, and following an extensive search of the area arrested Pauley within an hour of the call.
Although he had discarded the knife, this was recovered by crime scene investigators following further searches.
The victim’s glasses, knocked off during the assault, were also found in the area.
It was established Pauley had recently been released from prison after serving a sentence for drug dealing.
He was wearing a GPS monitoring tag as part of the terms of his licence, which further helped to place him at the scene of the assault.
Careful analysis of CCTV footage further showed Pauley following the victim prior to the attack.
DNA evidence also tied Pauley to the offences.
Strength of case
Pauley, of Brook Road, Benfleet, was charged with two counts of rape, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife in a public place.
The strong evidence resulted in guilty pleas to each charge when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Friday 24 October and he faced sentenced at the same court on Thursday 8 January.
In a statement, the victim courageously shared the impact of the offending on her:
“I am lot more anxious and struggle at work with my concentration and feeling overwhelmed.
“If I am at home, I spend a lot of time in my bedroom not having to speak to my family, as I just feel upset all the time.
“It is all about that night – I can’t move forward and don’t feel normal. I don’t know if I will again.
“I will always be scared of him.”
The victim’s father said:
“I know what happened to her was horrific and it was awful and heartbreaking to see her that night and then in the hospital.
“But what is most upsetting now is seeing the continued impact and what she is doing to herself because of this.
“I want to see her move forward and not let this define her future, as she is such a lovely girl with so much to offer.
“The feeling of being unable to protect my daughter from such a vicious attack has left me emotionally and mentally exhausted which has led to physical exhaustion.
“Still, I carry on as my children need me.
“To the person sitting in the dock: I am thankful that you have spared my daughter the mental torture of a trial and I hope that whatever sentence is passed today, you think about your actions.
“I hope that you use this time to make amends with your future actions and come out of this a better human being than the one you are currently.”
Extended sentence
Pauley was deemed to be a dangerous offender and given an extended sentence, comprising 12 years imprisonment and seven years on licence upon his eventual release.
Judge Cohen praised the "highly expert and thorough CCTV analysis undertaken by the policing team".
Detective Inspector Lydia George, senior investigating officer, said:
“I would firstly like to recognise the strength, courage and bravery shown by the victim. She has remained steadfast in her account and support for the investigation, helping us build our case and take a dangerous and predatory criminal off our streets.
“She is a credit to herself and her family.
“To be faced with an incident of this level of sexual and physical violence, in circumstances where the victim is not known to the attacker – this is very rare within Essex.
“Our response required speed, sensitivity and careful preservation of forensic evidence linking Pauley to the crime. We ensured we built an irrebuttable case against the person responsible.
“Call handlers were able to get those vital first pieces of information from the victim.
“Our officers were then on the scene within minutes, ensuring Pauley was promptly arrested.
“Further searches uncovered the knife used in the attack, despite his deliberate attempt to discard it.
“Due to the strength of the evidence presented, Pauley was left with no choice but to admit to the horrific crimes he had committed.
“This was a sexually motivated assault on a lone woman, committed by a violent offender who has today, deservedly, been given a lengthy custodial sentence.
“We take all incidents involving violence against women and girls in Essex extremely seriously and it’s vital victims feel confident in coming forward to us.”