RAPIST JAILED FOR 10 YEARS
A sex fiend who raped a young mother twice has been jailed for 10 years.Michael Edward Harris-James attacked the 21-year-old woman behind the offices of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council as she made her way home from a nightclub, a court was told.
Despite her screams and pleas for him to stop, Harris-James forced himself on the terrified victim twice in an ordeal that lasted about 30 minutes.
Police used CCTV images as well as forensic techniques and DNA evidence to later identify Harris-James, who has a long list of previous convictions for theft, burglary and robbery, some involving female victims.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard yesterday how the victim, who is from Weymouth, had slowly begun to rebuild her life since the attack but still lacks confidence and cannot go out alone at night.
Harris-James, 29, of Commercial Road, Weymouth, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and two counts of rape.
Paul Hester, prosecuting, said the woman left a nightclub during the early hours of Saturday, January 24, after refusing to take money from her boyfriend for a taxi home.
He said she cut through the back of the council offices where someone grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth and demanded money.
She tried to look at her attacker but he put an arm round her neck and dragged her to a secluded area up some steps to the side of the car park, Mr Hester said.
The court was told that Harris-James forced her to perform a sex act before raping her.
"She was crying and pleaded with him to let her go home and see her young child," said Mr Hester.
"He relented and let her go and left the enclosed area.
She struggled to walk back out of this area and saw that he was still there." Mr Hester said the victim was grabbed again and dragged across the other side of the car park to the back of some outbuildings where she was raped for a period of about 20 minutes while she cried and screamed for help.
Harris-James fled on a bicycle while the victim struggled home and raised the alarm.
Michael McGoldrick, defending, said Harris-James deeply regretted these 'despicable acts.' He said Harris-James, who was placed in care as a child, was a loner at school who later 'lapsed into a circle of drink and drugs.' He has a son from a previous relationship and moved to Weymouth last year following his last offence of robbing a woman in a Bournemouth car park.
"He has had relationships with females, but none for a long period.
He is shy but he's not obsessed with sexual fantasies." He added: "He fully accepts the version of events.
He saw an opportunity to steal, but struggles to explain why his actions changed and is racked with guilt." Judge John Beashel told Harris-James: "I give you credit for your pleas - at least you spared your victim the ordeal of recalling these dreadful events by giving evidence.
These were truly awful and violent offences.
Your victim thought the ordeal was over then you raped her again.
These terrible events blighted her life.
You're a man with a long criminal record.
You're a dangerous man." Harris-James was given a nine-year prison sentence for the two counts of rape and three months' jail for the attempted robbery to run concurrently.
The sentence is to run consecutively with a 'recall' period of one year and three months imposed because Harris-James committed the offence while on licence.
The judge ordered that when Harris-James is released from prison his licence period should be extended by five years.
He also ordered that Harris-James should be placed on the sex offenders' register for life.
Detective Constable Steve Dodge of Weymouth CID, who headed the case, said: "These were very nasty offences against a vulnerable young woman and I am pleased that justice has been done.
I would like to pay tribute to the victim for her bravery and for her promptly reporting these very traumatic offences to Dorset Police."
