A man has been jailed after filming himself brutally beating and raping a ‘homeless’ woman under a bridge during a night out celebrating his birthday.
Liam Stimpson, 24, is said to have isolated the ‘vulnerable’ 40-year-old ‘woman under the pretence of buying her food, before undertaking the ‘sadistic’ attack beneath the secluded bridge of Cardiff Central railway station.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how the ‘humiliating’ assault, which took place in December 27 last year after a night out drinking vodka, was filmed by Stimpson on his mobile phone, with footage of the ‘heinous attack’ shown to the court.
The prosecution described how the woman begged her attacker to stop, before she was stripped naked, beaten and raped twice.
The woman was homeless, according to local media reports.
Stimpson, who denied the charges, claimed the woman allowed him to film the incident as part of ‘role play’ after paying her for oral sex.
However, a jury disagreed, finding Stimpson guilty of four separate offences, including rape and grievous bodily harm.
It follows a jury already finding Stimpson guilty on a separate charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Judge Jenkins, the judge presiding over the case, sentenced Stimpson to 15 years in prison at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, June 3.
“You completely humiliated her – you took the last ounce of dignity from her,” Judge Jenkins told Stimpson.
He described the attack as “bordering on sadistic”, with the jury shown phone footage in which the victim held her hands up to her attacker, pleading: “Don’t beat me up baby, don’t beat me please. I’ve got kids.
CCTV footage showed the pair walking to Bakers Row before returning to St Mary’s Street and parting ways.
Stimpson could then be heard replying: “I’ll tell you what to do. I’m the boss.”
During the trial, the court heard how a cleaner from a bar and a delivery driver intervened during the incident and contacted the police.
Within 30 minutes, the force had arrived at the bridge and arrested Stimpson, who was remanded into custody.
Det Insp Katherine Barry, from South Wales Police, described the footage as the “most shocking, heinous” crime she had seen in the entirity of her 21-year career.
“The fact that the jury was exposed to it concerns me, because I have never seen anything like it,” she said.
“It was sadistic, it was prolonged, this lady was humiliated, and it will stay with me for a very long time.”
“We relied really heavily on members of the public who had intervened and who, in my view, probably saved her life, who were able to provide more information about his movement.”
By Danielle De Wolfe
