Boy who raped mum strolling residence from pub after she ‘smiled’ at him will not be named

A 16-year-old boy has been put behind bars after he sexually assaulted a woman as she was making her way home from a pub along a busy city street – however, he won’t be named.

The teen trailed the married mum down the road, overtook her, and then lay in ambush for her by a grassy verge to launch his attack.

The boy – who remains anonymous due to his age – later alleged that the woman had “smiled” at him and that they had shared a kiss and engaged in sexual activity in a ditch next to the main road in Cardiff.

James Hartson, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court that the victim of the assault, a married mother, had spent an evening in June this year at a pub with her loved ones before heading home. He stated the woman was “obviously intoxicated” and was unsteady on her feet.

The court was told that as the woman strolled along the busy North Road, which leads to and from Cardiff city centre, she crossed paths with the defendant who was walking in the opposite direction.

After they passed each other, the teenager halted, spun around, and started to follow her, according to Wales Online.

Mr Hartson explained: “After they passed each other, the defendant changed direction and began to walk behind the victim, now in the same direction as her. It is the prosecution’s case that having identified her as an intoxicated and vulnerable lone female, this is probably the moment when he decided that he would rape her and therefore began to follow her.”

The court was told how the teen overtook the woman before stopping near a grass verge, which Mr Hartson noted the defendant had picked as the spot for his crime. Despite her intoxication affecting her memory, the woman recalled being approached by the defendant who put his arm around her she initially thought he was there to assist her.

However, her next memory was of lying on her back with the defendant raping her, as she pleaded for him to stop and attempted to push him away. Following the attack, the teenager fled, leaving the woman to stagger home.

That same night, the assault was reported, prompting a “massive” police operation involving scores of officers and staff. A review of CCTV led to the identification and arrest of the suspect at his residence the next day.

During questioning, the teen admitted to encountering the woman but alleged that she had smiled at him, leading to a consensual encounter.

In her victim impact statement, the woman recounted to the court how the harrowing assault has irrevocably altered her existence, lamenting that she feels “desperately sad” for having “lost a part of who I was”.

She spoke of the stark contrast between her past self trusting and sociable with her current state where solitude is her preference, admitting she “doesn’t recognise herself” anymore.

With the assaults full psychological toll yet unclear, she confessed that the prospect of an indelibly changed life “fills her with dread”.

For the defence, William Bebb painted a picture of his client’s tumultuous upbringing, marred by “alarming levels of neglect and exploitation”, and revealed the defendant had been exposed to pornography from a tender age.

He assured the court the young man would undergo comprehensive “multi-agency support” during his time in custody a form of assistance he was deprived of previously.

The defendant faced charges of assault by penetration and rape; maintaining his innocence throughout and he entered a plea of not guilty. Post-trial, however, he was convicted on both counts by district judge Steve Harmes at Cardiff Youth Court.

Acknowledging the gravity of his crimes, the case ascended to the crown court for sentencing. The teenager, who has no prior convictions, was handed a nine-year extended sentence, including five years detention and a four-year licence period.

He must serve two-thirds of the custodial part of the sentence before the Parole Board will consider his release. He will be registered as a sex offender for life.

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