SEX OFFENDER SNARED BY CCTV DESPITE DENIAL
A woman who was assaulted by a registered sex offender in Leicester’s Frog Island described the profound impact on her sense of self.She stated, “It’s changed my identity and it has changed how I see myself.” The attack occurred on the evening of June 11 last year during her walk along the canal towpath.
She was observed by Warren Laight, who began to follow her closely as she approached North Gate.
Laight overtook her during the walk and then paused under a bridge.
Suspecting that she might have been followed, the woman attempted to pass him, but Laight grabbed her and committed a sexual assault.
She struggled to break free, shouted to attract attention, which startled Laight and caused him to flee.
The victim, in her 20s, provided police with a description of Laight, which helped lead to his identification through CCTV footage.
Nearby witnesses also described him.
Laight was arrested on June 13.
During questioning, he denied involvement, claiming he was not in the area at the time and had been staying with a family member.
Police interviewed Laight’s relative, who stated that he had been at her home during that day and only left briefly to purchase cigarettes.
However, officers found that Laight’s phone was not at her residence during the incident but was instead at the scene of the attack.
Despite denying the charges, Laight was charged.
He pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court on December 16 to attempted rape and assault by penetration.
He received a sentence of 13 years and six months in prison on April 17.
In her Victim Personal Statement, the woman shared how the assault affected her: “The impact has gone far beyond the immediate incident.
It has changed my identity, and it has changed how I see myself.
“I feel disconnected from who I used to be, I no longer find joy in the things that once defined me and feel I will never be able to do those things again.
“He has taken my life away from me the way in which I knew it.
He has handed me a life sentence and now I am left to serve it.”
