A RAPE victim has been praised for showing “immense courage” in coming forward and helping to convict a man who subjected her to “abhorrent” abuse.
David Nigel Pearce is facing years behind bars after being found guilty of two counts of rape and two of common assault committed over a period of nearly a decade.
He denied the charges but was convicted by jurors by a majority verdict following a ten-day trial in the Royal Court. The 41-year-old was cleared of two further rapes and one count of common assault.
Following the verdicts, the States police praised the bravery of the woman for reporting the offences to the police and giving evidence in front of a jury.
She is one of several women who have taken to the witness stand in recent months – with special measures to protect their anonymity and shield them from the defendant – to help bring their attackers to justice.
In a statement, Detective Constable Verity Thomas said: “I’m sickened by Pearce’s abhorrent behaviour and the pain he has caused the complainant who has shown immense courage in coming forward and giving live evidence in court.
“It is down to her courage that he has been convicted today. It has had a massive impact on her life, but hopefully she can now begin to recover.”
Pearce was originally arrested following an assault in 2020 and was later further arrested for historic assaults and rapes, before being charged in April last year.
He always denied the charges, claiming that he had never abused the woman and that she had been violent towards him.
Following the guilty verdicts he was remanded into custody and placed on the Sex Offenders Register. He is due to appear in the Royal Court on 8 March when a sentencing date before the Superior Number, which convenes for the most serious offences, will be fixed.
