Plymouth man jailed for rape
A Plymouth man has been jailed for 11 years after being convicted of rape.
Thomas Carr, 35, was sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court on Friday 1 November after being found guilty by a jury of one rape and one attempted rape.
He must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and a restraining order was put in place to protect the victim.
The court heard how Carr was arrested at his home address in George Place, Plymouth, on Tuesday 18 July 2023.
Carr and the victim in the case had agreed to meet prior to the attack. Carr arrived at the victim’s address and she let him in and made a coffee before going to her bedroom to get ready to go out.
While she was in her bedroom, Carr entered the room and vaginally raped her despite her telling him to stop.
Later on that day, Carr attempted to orally rape the victim. Following the incident the victim contacted a friend asking her to come over and get Carr out of the house. She then disclosed to her friend what had happened during the day.
The victim reported the matter to the police and Carr was promptly arrested.
This resulted in a complex investigation led by a detective within Plymouth CID, with the victim being supported throughout by specialist officers.
Due to the officer’s dedication and diligent work the CPS authorised the relevant charges and Carr was found guilty by the jury.
Inspector Christopher Kinski from the Domestic Abuse investigation team said: “The perpetrator in this case has committed a truly horrendous and heinous crime against this woman.
“I wish to thank the victim for her incredible bravery in coming forward and reporting this case to us. We know this is no easy task and that there will always be the fear in not being believed.
“However, we take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and we are whole heartedly committed to supporting survivors of sexual abuse.
“I have no doubt that what happened that night will stay with the victim forever. I hope this sentencing can provide her with some sense of closure so that she can move on with the same courage and determination that she has shown throughout this process.
“We would urge anyone suffering in silence to come forward. As this case shows, you will be believed and supported and together we will hold offenders to account for their crimes.”
If you require help or assistance relating to sexual abuse, please look at the below list of helplines.
- National Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999
- Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC): 0300 3034626
- Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Independent Sexual Advisor Service: 03458 121212
- Victim Care Unit: 01392 475900
- Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services: 01392 204 174
In an emergency, always call 999 and in a non-emergency please visit www.dc.police.uk/contact
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