Chilling CCTV shows rapist fleeing the scene of ‘brutal’ sex attack on cleaner in park after searching the internet for ‘how to rape and get away with it’
- Luke West, 29, from Southampton, Hampshire, was found guilty of rape and GBH
- West attacked the victim in Lower Gardens in Bournemouth in the early morning
- Judge Keith Cutler at Winchester Crown Court sentenced him to 16 years
Chilling CCTV shows the moment a rapist fled the scene of a ‘brutal’ sex attack on a woman as she walked to work through a park.
Footage released by police show Luke West, 29, walking through Bournemouth town centre in the early hours of November 13 last year.
Two hours before the attack, the sex fiend had visited a strip club before leaving his friend’s house at 4.35am to look for a woman to attack.
West had searched the Internet for a step-by-step guide for how to ‘rape and get away with it’ before pouncing on his random victim in Lower Gardens.
Chilling CCTV shows the moment rapist Luke West, 29, fled the scene of a ‘brutal’ sex attack on a woman as she walked to work through a park last November
At 5.30am, West, from Southampton, Hampshire, can be seen loitering in the town centre before heading to Lower Gardens to grab a 40-year-old woman.
He grabbed the cleaner, who was on her way to work, and assaulted and raped her.
CCTV footage from 6.12am then shows West then running down the street – a minute after Dorset Police received a 999 call reporting the sex attack.
West from Southampton, Hampshire, has been sentenced to 16 years in custody with an extended licence period of six years
West was found guilty of rape and grievous bodily harm. Yesterday, he was sentenced to 16 years in custody with an extended licence period of six years.
A third charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image was ordered to lie on file at Winchester Crown Court.
The court heard that West had used his phone to search ‘how to rape and get away with it’, ‘how to rape a woman in daylight’, ‘how to surprise attack your victim’ and ‘step-by-step guide to rape a woman’ before pouncing on the victim.
On November 12, West had visited the strip club Wiggle with a friend and then left at about 3am the next morning. They returned to his friend’s house but he then left there at about 4.35am to walk back into Bournemouth town centre.
Sergeant Dave Colomb said: ‘We tracked West from 4.35am when he left the house and you can see him on this footage at about 5.25am.
‘In our view he can be seen loitering with intent looking for a victim. It is disturbing to watch. We were unable to find the exact date West made those internet searches on his phone but they were important for building our case.
Winchester Crown Court (pictured) heard that West had used his phone to search ‘how to rape and get away with it’, ‘how to rape a woman in daylight’, ‘how to surprise attack your victim’ and ‘step-by-step guide to rape a woman’ before pouncing on the victim
‘It is a massive relief that this man is no longer on the streets and testament to the sheer hard work of those involved.’
The victim, who feared she would be killed in the attack, was found ‘naked and semi-conscious’ with significant facial injuries by passers-by at 6.10am.
At the same time security cameras picked up West sprinting away from the scene. He was arrested the next day after police recognised him from the CCTV.
A search by police of a hotel room he had been staying in found a pair of black jeans and a jacket stained with blood which had a DNA match with the victim.
CCTV shows West, from Southampton, Hampshire, can be seen loitering in the town centre before heading to Lower Gardens (pictured) having picked out his victim
The victim, who sustained bruising to her face, neck, chest and arms as well as a fracture to her eye socket in the attack, was praised by police for her courage.
Detective Inspector Wayne Seymour, of Dorset Police, said: ‘This was a despicable offence, which saw Luke West subject his victim not only to a terrifying sexual attack but also a brutal physical assault. The victim has shown incredible bravery.’
In 2015 West was jailed for four years at Southampton Crown Court for holding his then-girlfriend at knifepoint and biting her face.
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