NATHAN COLE'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN DERBY: DOUBLE RAPE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE SHOCK COMMUNITY
In April 2023, a disturbing case unfolded in Derby involving Nathan Cole, a 32-year-old man whose actions have left a trail of trauma and heartbreak.Cole was found guilty of carrying out a brutal campaign of sexual violence against two women, actions that have deeply scarred their lives and shocked the local community.
According to court proceedings at Derby Crown Court, Cole’s heinous crimes began after he was invited into the home of a woman in Spondon.
The victim, who had shown kindness by offering him a place to stay on her sofa, was subjected to a terrifying assault.
One night in January of the previous year, Cole entered her bedroom without consent and raped her.
The woman recounted her ordeal, describing how he was saying “what have I done?” after the assault, and how he begged her not to tell anyone.
Her distress was evident as she described her feelings of shame and dirtiness, saying, “I don’t feel like the same person anymore, every time I shower I scrub and scrub myself because I feel dirty.” The prosecutor, Stephen Kemp, detailed that after the initial rape, Cole was arrested and was heard to say, “I am disgusting, I deserve to die.” The victim’s statement revealed her suffering, including her attempts to take her own life and her ongoing struggle with the trauma.
She expressed her anguish, stating, “I was screaming and begging for him to stop but he carried on.” The second victim, a mother and grandmother from Derby, encountered Cole shortly after he was released on bail for the first assault.
While at the Royal Derby Hospital, Cole approached her in the smoking area and claimed to be homeless.
Feeling pity for him, she invited him to stay overnight at her home.
Unfortunately, this act of kindness was exploited.
Over the course of the next two days, Cole subjected her to multiple acts of sexual violence, including rape in her bed and additional assaults.
She described her fear of waking her grandson, which prevented her from shouting or resisting during the attacks.
Her victim impact statement revealed her profound despair, saying, “I now feel like I live in a black hole.
I have started drinking more to take away the memory of what happened to me.
I cannot cope any more.” Throughout the trial, Cole maintained his innocence, denying any sexual activity took place.
His decision to go to trial forced both women to relive their traumatic experiences as they provided evidence in court.
Despite his denials, the jury convicted him on multiple counts of rape.
In sentencing, Recorder Simon King handed Cole a 20-year prison term, comprising 15 years of custody and an additional five-year extended sentence for dangerousness.
The court also imposed a lifelong restraining order preventing Cole from contacting the first victim and mandated his registration on the sex offender register for life.
The judge emphasized that Cole was fully aware of his actions, stating, “He abused (the first victim) in possibly the most fundamental way in that he raped her and continues to deny that he did so.
But the jury had no difficulty in convicting him and in my view he was very well aware of what he had done.” At the time of sentencing, Cole stormed out of the video-link room at HMP Nottingham before learning his fate.
His actions and the court’s verdict underscore the severity of his crimes and the profound impact on his victims, whose lives have been irrevocably changed by his violent acts in Derby.
