Vulnerable rape victim tried to take her own life

A vulnerable woman who was raped by a Plymouth man was so badly affected by the incident she attempted to take her own life, a court heard.

Thomas Carr, aged 35 and now of George Place in Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court after he was found guilty of one count of vaginal rape and one count of attempted oral rape on a woman in July 2023.

Prosecutor Jason Beale told the court how Carr targeted the woman - who cannot be named for legal reasons - twice on that day, the first by holding her down with his hand and forcibly raped her for around five minutes at her then home, despite her repeated cries to make him stop. The court heard Carr was not wearing a condom at the time and ejaculated.

Later that same day he attempted to force his penis into her mouth, while he was under the influence of alcohol, again ignoring her pleas to stop. Carr grabbed her around the throat and attempted to force open her mouth with his other hand but she resisted him.

Carr was later questioned by another woman who knew the victim and the court heard he told her he was "p*ssed up" at the time, adding "I basically put my d*** in her mouth and she didn't want it".

Mr Beale said the victim later contacted police and she was medically examined and was found to have a tender area of her neck where Carr had grabbed her and applied pressure. Carr was arrested and denied the offences, claiming they had engaged in consensual sex.

The court heard Carr has convictions dating back to 2009 including offences of theft, burglary, public disorder, battery, assaulting an emergency worker, driving offences and possession of cannabis. He was jailed in 2012 for 40 months for the offence of assault with intent to rob and in 2015 he was handed a suspended sentence for the offence of child abduction. His last jail sentence was in 2022 when he was given six months for assaulting an emergency worker.

The court heard that at the time of the rape offence in July 2023 he was on police bail for two separate allegations of rape, one of which dated back to 2020. The court heard that after being arrested, interviewed and bailed he was not charged with that offence. Mr Beale said that on July 2, 2023 he was arrested on suspicion of rape of a woman alleged to have occurred in June 2023. He said he was later charged with that offence but the prosecution later offered no evidence after the complainant withdrew her statement.

Mr Beale read out the victim personal statement from the victim. Quoting from the statement, he noted her difficult background circumstances and that after the rape her mental health suffered and her PTSD "got so bad I couldn't go into my room without reliving the incident in my head".

She said that since the assault her mental health was "the worst it's ever been".

She wrote: "Some days I really struggle with my feelings, with wanting to commit suicide and hurting myself. Earlier this year I was homeless and living in hotels. This was organised by social care, I lost a friend to suicide and this made me feel terrible. At this point I tried to step in front of a train."

She said she accessed mental health treatment for the next few months and was suffering from flashbacks, night terrors and insomnia. She revealed that she again attempted to cause herself harm by stepping in front of a train in Camborne. She wrote: "I walked along the tracks for about half a mile, I stepped out in front of the train but they were able to stop it. I genuinely wanted to end my life."

She added that since the assault she found it difficult to be around men and found the trial very difficult. She said she had cut almost all of her friends off since the trial.

She wrote: "Every day is a struggle. Some days I just want to disappear." She noted that as she was now in supported shared accommodation with staff looking after her she had to give up her dog which had "broken my heart as I can't have him at my accommodation".

She added: "This crime has taken everything from me. I live with it every day. It's ruined my life. I just want my life back."

In mitigation, Carr's advocate Ali Rafati said his client suffered ADHD, dyslexia and was "intellectually limited" and said that during the trial it was clear Carr had a "degree of immaturity in the answers he gave".

Judge Robert Linford told Carr that the offences for which he was interviewed and charge, but the matters were not proceeded with were irrelevant, but the fact that he was on bail at the time of the rape and attempted rape was relevant.

He told Carr the victim made it "quite clear" she did not want him to do what he did and she had told him to stop, but he ignored her. Judge Linford said the effects on the victim had been "enormous" adding "life changing is the best way to describe the effect that your behaviour has had towards her... life changing".

He said Carr had a "long and unenviable list of convictions".

Making reference to the pre-sentence report and the mitigation offered on his behalf by his advocate, he noted that Carr had had a "number of issues" which had "blighted" own life, but added "but you still knew the difference between right and wrong and knew how to heed it when she was telling you 'no' and you did not".

He noted the victim's own difficult past, "but what you did only made that worse - certainly not better".

Judge Linford handed Carr a sentence of 11 years for the rape and seven years for the attempted rape, to run concurrently, totalling 11 years.

He said Carr would serve two thirds before being released. He confirmed 138 days from his time on electronic tag would count towards that sentence. He has been placed on the Sex Offenders' register for life and be subject of a restraining order to not contact the victim for 15 years."

Support for victims of rape and sexual assault

Support is available if you need help or assistance relating to sexual assault:

• National Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999
• Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC): 0300 3034626
• Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Independent Sexual Advisor Service: 03458 121212
• Victim Care Unit: 01392 475900
• Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services: 01392 204 174

In an emergency, always call 999 and in a non-emergency please visit www.dc.police.uk/contact or telephone 101.

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