Description
A Bedford man has been jailed for more than five years after attempting to rape a woman.
Carlton Lancelot-Mungofa – known only to the victim as Carlito - had been at a house with a group of people in January 2021 when he sexually assaulted and attempted to rape a woman.
The victim immediately contacted her mother and disclosed what had happened. The police were informed and Lancelot-Mungofa was identified and arrested.
Following an investigation by Bedfordshire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team, Lancelot-Mungofa was found guilty of attempted rape after the jury deliberated for just two and a half hours after a four-day trial.
The 27-year-old was sentenced at Luton Crown Court today (Thursday) to five and half years.
The victim described how this incident impacted her life in her victim personal statement. She said:
“When all this happened, I lost what I thought was a good part of my life surrounded by friends, going out, having drinks, and just enjoying life.
“Nights out were always full of laughter and never ended badly, until the night everything changed. After that happened, it felt like I lost all of it. The people I was closest to started seeing me differently, as if that one moment defined me.
"I will never get that time back. My life has felt like it has been on pause and I don’t know if it will ever be the same again or if I will ever fully recover from this."
Detective Sergeant Joanna Tyrrell from RASSO said:
“This was a terrifying ordeal for the victim, and I want to commend her courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Lancelot-Mungofa’s actions and sends a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure those who commit violent and predatory offences against women are brought to justice.
“We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of rape or serious sexual assault victims to come forward, safe in the knowledge that they will be treated with sympathy and respect and given the support they need.”