A man has been sentenced to a total of 19 years and one month in prison after he kidnapped and raped a woman in Hemel Hempstead.
Zachery Owens, aged 26, of Wilkinson Way, Hemel Hempstead, appeared at Luton Crown Court today (May 19) for sentencing.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to six offences committed on January 21 this year: kidnap, assault by penetration, two charges of rape, one of taking a BMW without consent and one of driving while disqualified.
The victim fell from her second floor balcony to escape the rapist who had abducted her as she walked to work.
The 27-year-old had been grabbed around the throat by Zachery who had bundled her into a BMW where he subjected her to a degrading sexual ordeal.
After raping the woman in the car he drove her to her flat in Hemel Hempstead, where the prosecution said he intended to continue the abuse.
But prosecutor Simon Wilshire said the quick-thinking victim told him she would go in first as she needed to shut her dog away.
She went to the balcony and tried to lower herself down to the next floor, but fell. From the first floor she fell again, hitting the ground with a “loud thud.” After her escape, Owens fled.
Opening the case, Mr Wilshire said: “ They did not know each other. This was a random abduction and rape of a complete stranger.
“The offence was committed at 7.30 in the morning as the victim took her usual route to work.
“He gave her a story about his phone running out of credit. She said she had no credit on her phone. He asked for directions and continued to try to engage her. She became increasing uncomfortable and walked away, but she was aware he had followed her.”
The victim asked if he was going to rob, rape or kill her. He drove to a quiet residential area and got into the back of the car where he tore her leggings away. She told him: “Just do what you want. Get it over and done with and leave me.”
The kidnap was seen by a woman walking her dog who gave the police a description of the car and part of its registration number.
In a victim personal statement, she said: “It feels like my independence has been taken from me. I can’t walk to the shops with feeling scared.” She said her scars were a permanent reminder of what happened.
Judge Mensah told him: “You are the sort of person who is every woman’s worst nightmare. They were prolonged and heinous offences, extending to the victims own home.”
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