Man jailed for 'depraved' rape of homeless woman

Liam Stimpson was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday

A man has been jailed for 15 years for raping a homeless woman while he was on a night out and filming the attack.

Liam Stimpson, 24, from Llanrumney, Cardiff, was convicted of two counts of rape and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent on Thursday.

The attack on the 40-year-old, which Stimpson filmed on his phone, happened on 27 December last year in Cardiff city centre.

During sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said the attack was “gratuitous, repeated and sustained violence against a woman in no position to defend”.

“You completely humiliated her – you took the last ounce of dignity from her,” Judge Jenkins told Stimpson, describing the attack as “bordering on sadistic”.

In a statement read out on her behalf, the victim said it had “changed my whole opinion of men”.

“I want this male to end up in prison for what he has done. I worry about him doing this to another female,” she said.

“I’m unable to socialise with others at the moment. I just want to be alone, to block out what has happened to me.”

Rhianydd Jones from the Crown Prosecution Service said the case "highlights the extreme violence and disregard for human dignity exhibited by the defendant", thanking the jury for their “careful consideration”, as well as the victim for coming forward.

A jury had already found Stimpson guilty of a separate charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

'Shocking, heinous' attack

Det Insp Katherine Barry, from South Wales Police, said the footage of the rape was the "most shocking, heinous" she had seen in her 21-year career.

"The fact that the jury was exposed to it concerns me, because I have never seen anything like it," she said.

"It was sadistic, it was prolonged, this lady was humiliated, and it will stay with me for a very long time."

Det Insp Barry said Stimpson’s defence, that the victim had suggested filming as part of role play, was “ludicrous”.

"Any person with a shred of humanity watching it would see if for exactly what it was, which was a depraved, brutal attack, on a lone vulnerable female," she said.

She added that incidents like this in the city centre were "exceptionally rare" and she hoped the sentence would encourage victims of sexual offences to speak to the police.

The attack occurred under a bridge near Cardiff Central train station

Warning: Contains distressing content

Stimpson denied the charges, claiming the woman suggested the filming as part of role play after he paid her for oral sex.

Stimpson’s victim was punched and kicked during the attack under a bridge near Cardiff Central railway station in the early hours of the morning.

She begged her attacker to stop as she was stripped naked, beaten and raped twice.

Videos taken from Stimpson's mobile phone showed the woman with a severely swollen and bleeding face, her right eye completely closed.

She lifted her hands to her attacker and said: "Don't beat me up baby, don't beat me please. I've got kids."

Stimpson could be heard replying: "I'll tell you what to do. I'm the boss."

He then demanded she remove her coat, despite the cold and wet conditions.

She eventually escaped and ran naked into a nearby pub, telling early morning cleaning staff “I’ve been raped”.

The videos were discovered by police on the defendant's mobile phone.

He refused to provide the PIN, but officers guessed it was his date of birth.

Stimpson also admitted possession of cannabis.

Many of the jurors were in tears as they watched the footage.

Ruth Smith defending, said her client had been diagnosed with disabilities of a neurodiverse nature.

A psychiatric report had confirmed a longstanding diagnosis of ADHD, and he was more recently diagnosed with autism.

Ms Smith said her client found custody very difficult, adding he had been picked on and bullied in Parc Prison, Bridgend.

The court was also told his girlfriend is pregnant with his child.

As he was sentenced, Stimpson cried and rocked in the dock.

He refused to leave and had to be carried out by staff.