A 28-YEAR-OLD man who raped a woman on three separate occasions has been jailed for nine and a half years.
David Sullivan was sentenced at the Royal Court on Friday, with his victim saying that his actions had ‘destroyed’ two years of her life.
Advocate Simon Thomas, prosecuting, said that after the second rape: ‘He [Sullivan] told her she was his property and he could do what he liked to her.’
The victim was examined at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre and found to have numerous bruises and abrasions, but when interviewed by police Sullivan claimed they had been caused by consensual sex.
But he was convicted of three counts of rape following a three-day trial in January this year.
Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, said there was no danger he would be in contact with the victim again, saying: ‘Mr Sullivan wishes to move away from the Island in due course.’
Sullivan was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 13 years and served with a restraining order for an indefinite period.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Jo Le Maistre said: ‘I hope this goes some way to reassure the public that we are committed to investigating and prosecuting all sexual violence perpetrators. The victim in this case has shown an immense amount of courage and patience during this process.
‘Reporting a rape can be a terrifying experience. We need to do all we can to limit the trauma as much as possible and put victims at the heart of our police response. We are determined to ensure that victims who want to engage in the criminal justice process feel able to do so and are supported at every step. Additional support was also provided in this case by the Jersey Domestic Abuse Service.’
