'I thought his intention was to kill me' The harrowing words of woman subjected to hours-long attack
by Lucy John · Wales OnlineThe survivor of a horrific physical and sexual assault described how she thought she would die during the attack. Cail Sweetland ripped the clothes off her body during the incident which also saw him bite and slap her.
He then smashed an empty vodka bottle on her head which resulted in a bleed on her brain. A sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard how the woman was tormented by Sweetland, now 24, for a number of hours at a hotel in Cardiff in 2023.
Following arguments between the pair and heavy drinking together the court heard how the woman clearly told Sweetland she did not want to become intimate with him that night. However he went on to sexually assault her "in an attempt to hurt her". It resulted in the victim crying and screaming out in pain, which she described as "excruciating" before she passed out. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
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During the hearing prosecutor Andrew Davies read out a powerful victim impact statement which had recently been submitted by the woman. In it she described the extent of her trauma, which she will likely carry for the rest of her life.
It read: “Although today marks a physical end to a traumatic experience in my life, I fear it is something that I will never emotionally and mentally overcome and will think about daily for the rest of my life.
“I genuinely thought that his intention that night was to kill me, the abuse seemed never ending. I awaited with dread...each time he left and decided to come back.
“Putting myself back into that room is painful to remember, but I remember feeling confused, humiliated, hurt, shame and stupid for being in a situation where I would have to go home and explain to my [child] why mammy has bruises and injuries over her, or worse, that someone would have to explain that [I] was no longer here.”
Describing the immediate impact on her following the attack, she wrote: “I did not cope well in these times, I lost sleep, my mental health deteriorated, and new symptoms of anxiety and depression became hard to handle which resulted in me resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms again to help me block this living hell out.”
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She continued: “This is still ongoing and will have to continue for a long time in order to be able to heal and get myself back to the confident, happy, outspoken, carefree person I was before this incident took all that away from me.”
In mitigation Marian Lewis told the court how “alcohol clouded [Sweetland's] judgement” that night, adding: “It is no excuse, but it is an explanation.” She said numerous character references suggested his behaviour was “out of character”, adding that Sweetland is “genuinely remorseful for how he behaved”.
Sweetland, of Commercial Road, Caerphilly, has no relevant previous convictions. He pleaded guilty before the case went to trial for assault causing actual bodily harm, unlawfully wounding and sexual assault by penetration.
Sentencing Sweetland, Judge Shomon Khan described the attack as “horrific”. He sentenced Sweetland to eight years and one month in prison for the lead offence of sexual assault by penetration. He will serve two years each concurrently for the two remaining offences. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order, preventing him from ever approaching or contacting the victim.
If you, a family member, a friend, or someone you are concerned about has experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence you can contact the Live Fear Free Helpline 24 hours a day seven days a week for free advice and support or to talk through your options: 0808 801 08 00.