MAN JAILED FOR ABUSING VICTIM IN HER SLEEP
A 26-year-old has been jailed after sexually abusing a woman while she was in and out of consciousness.Cameron Tuttle was initially scheduled for a trial but later pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual assault and an additional charge of assault by penetration.
The case was heard at Ipswich Crown Court, revealing that the assault happened after the victim had been at Tuttle's residence and was helped upstairs to her bed.
The victim regained consciousness sometime between 5am and 7am, realizing that Tuttle, who was 23 at the time, was in bed with her.
He then proceeded to engage in sexual activity with her.
At one point, Tuttle left the room but returned to continue the assault.
Following the incident, the victim contacted police, and forensic swabs were collected.
These samples indicated a partial match with Tuttle’s DNA profile.
During her court statement, the victim described the experience as distressing, noting that she had often seen similar situations depicted on television and had envisioned responding differently.
She expressed that, in reality, being caught off guard made resistance difficult.
The assault, she said, has had lasting effects on her life, disrupting her personal relationships and worsening a neurological condition that has left her unable to work and forced her to abandon her aspiration of becoming a paramedic.
She described the experience as something 'stuck on her like a tattoo.' During police interviews, Tuttle denied the allegations, sometimes with apparent indignation.
Speaking in his defence, Danielle O’Donovan, highlighted Tuttle’s difficulties, including learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia, and suspected autism, suggesting he did not fully understand that the victim could not consent.
Ms.
O’Donovan argued that Tuttle, a young man of 23, was acting impulsively and overstepped boundaries, implying that if he had better comprehension of social cues, this case might not have arisen.
Judge David Wilson, however, disagreed with this reasoning, emphasising that Tuttle’s impulsivity led him to target someone especially vulnerable.
Tuttle, formerly of Park Road, Lowestoft, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, with the expectation that he will serve approximately half of this term.
