2009: YARMOUTH TEENAGER JAILED FOR RAPE
A teenager who raped an “extremely vulnerable” woman in a seaside shelter in Suffolk has been sentenced to five years in prison.Bruno Carvalho, of Market Road, Great Yarmouth, broke down in tears as a jury returned unanimous verdicts at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.
The 19-year-old was found guilty of rape and attempted rape in Lowestoft in April this year.
Suffolk police has welcomed the conviction, which was the first to be brought by officers in the north-east of the county under Operation Gemini, a new strategy for rape cases focusing on victim care.
The trial revealed Carvalho had seen the woman having sex with a friend in the shelter but claimed she agreed to the sex act and accused her of being drunk.
Detective Inspector Darrell Skuse stated the victim was “extremely vulnerable” due to alcohol consumption and leaving her friends on a night out.
Carvalho, who denied the charges, was sentenced to five years in prison and must register as a sex offender indefinitely.
Judge Peter Fenn acknowledged the case’s difficulty and indicated the attack left the victim with reduced self-confidence and discomfort about going out.
