A Garston man has been jailed for raping and assaulting a woman at an address in Bushey earlier this year.
Jude Smyth, aged 32, from York Way, was sentenced on December 1, to six years and nine months after pleading guilty to rape and a section 20 GBH assault at an earlier hearing last month.
He will also remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.
The incident occurred during the early hours of May 24 after Smyth had gone to an address to visit a woman and her friend, who later left.
When the woman asked Smyth to leave, he became aggressive, dragging her into the bathroom and sexually assaulting her. He then locked her in and continued to assault her throughout the night before leaving. She also sustained knife injuries to her hands while trying to defend herself.
The victim disclosed the incident to her friend the next day and police were called. An arrest was quickly made and Smyth was remanded into custody.
Detective Sergeant Georgina Fenge, from the constabulary’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team (SOIT), said: “Smyth’s actions were absolutely appalling and left his victim in intense fear. I would like to commend her for the bravery and dignity she has shown throughout the trial.
“Nothing will ever erase this harrowing ordeal from her memory, but I hope she can perhaps now begin to move forward from what happened.
“We will always do all we can to secure justice for victims and in this case we are also requesting a referral is made to the Attorney General to have the sentence reviewed, as we believe it is unduly lenient.”
She added: “There may be other victims who are reluctant to report a sexual assault because they fear they will be accused of breaching the COVID-19 restrictions. Please be assured that this is not the case and a victim of a serious sexual offence will always be treated as such. We are here to support victims and bring offenders to justice.”
Anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence can contact the Herts Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for practical and emotional support.
The centre can arrange face-to-face support, sexual health referrals, and provide forensic medical examinations for those who want them.
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