DARREN COWLAND FROM BIDEFORD SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR HORRIFIC ASSAULT AND SEXUAL ABUSE

A man identified as Darren Cowland, aged 37 and residing on Union Close in Bideford, Devon, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term of 14 years following a brutal and disturbing assault on an 18-year-old woman. The incident involved both physical violence and sexual abuse, with Cowland subjecting his victim to a violent attack that included throttling her until she lost consciousness and tearing out clumps of her hair during the assault.

According to the court proceedings at Exeter Crown Court, Cowland's actions were particularly heinous, especially considering that he was already on bail at the time of the attack. His bail had been granted following an earlier incident at Caesar's Palace nightclub in Bideford in July 2011, where he had assaulted a man with a bottle. During that earlier incident, Cowland inflicted a 4cm scar on his victim, highlighting a pattern of violent behavior.

The court heard that Cowland was charged with and admitted to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm as well as sexual assault. The judge, Francis Gilbert, expressed his condemnation of Cowland's actions, describing the assault as extremely violent and emphasizing the lasting impact on the young woman. Judge Gilbert stated, "It was a very, very violent assault on a young woman who will probably be a long time recovering from what you did to her." He further added that Cowland was a dangerous offender, posing a significant risk of committing further offences in the future.

Prosecutor David Evans provided details of the earlier incident at Caesar's Palace nightclub, which took place in July 2011. The victim from that attack was left with a visible scar, underscoring the severity of Cowland's violent tendencies.

In mitigation, Gareth Evans highlighted that Cowland had been a victim of childhood abuse and has shown efforts to turn his life around, including a commitment to abstain from alcohol since being remanded in custody. Despite these factors, the court determined that Cowland's actions warranted a substantial custodial sentence to protect the public and serve justice for his victims.