STEVEN BRACKSTONE OF CAMBORNE SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS FOR RAPE AT TRURO CROWN COURT

In April 2022, a harrowing case unfolded at Truro Crown Court involving Steven Brackstone, a 39-year-old man from Edward Street in Camborne, who was found guilty of heinous sexual offenses. The jury reached a majority verdict, convicting Brackstone of two counts of rape, charges that stemmed from a deeply disturbing incident involving a vulnerable victim.

Throughout the trial, it was revealed that Brackstone had subjected the woman to multiple acts of non-consensual penetration. The victim, who was visibly traumatised, described feeling as if she was frozen during the assault, unable to protest or resist. She recounted feeling like a mere object, akin to a doll, with Brackstone treating her as an object for his own gratification. Despite her pleas for him to stop, he continued the assault on more than one occasion, leaving her with profound psychological scars and prompting her to engage in self-harm behaviors.

The court heard that the victim’s mental health was severely impacted by the ordeal. She suffered from intense emotional distress, which led her to self-harm by cutting herself 24 times on her thigh with a Stanley knife. Her testimony was particularly distressing; Judge Simon Carr described her as the most traumatised witness he had encountered in his 35 years of presiding over such cases. The judge noted that her distress was so severe that she physically shook from the moment she entered the witness box until she finished giving her evidence.

Judge Carr emphasized the gravity of the victim’s suffering, stating that she was “put in an impossible position” and only found the strength to speak out after confiding in a counsellor. The judge acknowledged Brackstone’s good character prior to the incident but highlighted the profound impact of his actions. He remarked on the significant psychological trauma inflicted upon the victim and the lasting effects of the assault.

In sentencing, Judge Carr sentenced Brackstone to nine years in prison, with the stipulation that he must serve at least two-thirds of that sentence before being eligible for parole. The judge also took into account Brackstone’s lack of previous criminal history and the fact that this was his first experience of incarceration, which he noted would be a challenging adjustment for him. The case underscores the devastating impact of sexual violence and the importance of justice for victims who bravely come forward to testify against their attackers.