Birmingham man jailed for rape and threats with a knife

A man named Spencer Hawkins has been sentenced to six years in prison after he committed a severe sexual assault on an 18-year-old woman in Birmingham. Hawkins, who was 22 years old at the time, entered a flat in the Bartley Green area where the victim was staying. He had stayed overnight with her and her boyfriend, but after the other man left in the morning, Hawkins remaining at the flat. The prosecution stated that Hawkins then claimed there were drugs in the flat and asked the woman to help find them. During this process, Hawkins violently seized her by her hair, held a butcher's knife against her throat, and threatened to cut her up if she screamed. He then dragged her into a bedroom, pushed her onto a bed, held her by the throat, and raped her. The judge, Mrs. Justice Cox, described Hawkins' use of violence and threats with a knife as serious aggravating factors and handed down a six-year sentence. The defense argued that Hawkins was psychiatrically disturbed at the time and was moving from one crime to another. Hawkins admitted to charges of rape, two robbery charges, four theft charges, burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, and driving while disqualified, and he requested that nine other offenses be considered in his case. The incident was widely reported, emphasizing the violent and threatening nature of the attack.