By Lucy Caulkett
An evil rapist who attacked a university student as she walked home alone from a night out in Leeds city centre has been jailed for life, and will serve at least 8 years in jail.
Samuel Fortes was handed a life sentence with a minimum of eight years’ imprisonment today as the judge deemed him a great danger to the public.
The victim had been on a night out with friends before Fortes followed her. She walked through the city centre and paused on St Paul’s Street where she spoke to her boyfriend on the phone via the face-time app. Her boyfriend later took a screenshot showing Fortes starting his attack by stamping on her. The image was a key piece of evidence as officers built their case.
During the 15 minute attack,Fortes dragged and carried the victim from the footbridge to under the flyover. He then physically assaulted and raped her. She was left with serious facial injuries as a result including a damaged tooth and extensive swelling to her face and body.The victim’s handbag, phone and keys were found by three people walking on the foot bridge who then found the victim and disturbed Fortes who fled on foot. After the assault, Fortes initially hid in a bush for an hour before fleeing back to his home city of Sheffield.
FORENSIC
A meticulous forensic examination of the scene revealed a single piece of hair which was fast tracked on the DNA Database, identifying Fortes as a key suspect.
To build their case the investigation team also trawled through hours of CCTV footage which showed the suspect wandering around Leeds City Centre prior to the attack.
He was also tracked after the attack heading from Leeds City Centre back to Sheffield via the train. When arrested the victim’s blood was on his shoes.
Fortes admitted rape and wounding with intent at Leeds Crown Court on Monday 12 November and was sentenced today (Thursday 18 April) and given a life sentence with a minimum term of 8 years.The 27-year-old was smirking when he repeatedly punched the teenage victim in the face as he raped her under the flyover footbridge adjacent to Grace Street.
The 19-year-old had been video chatting with her boyfriend when she was grabbed from behind on the footbridge, carried underneath it and had her face stamped on.Her boyfriend took screenshots of the beginning of the attack before her phone was smashed.
Strangers later found the girl ‘essentially naked’ and with serious facial injuries and called the police.
The terrifying incident happened after 3am on Saturday, June 23 last year. The brave victim today confronted her attacker in court. She said:
LOWEST POINT
Addressing the evil 27-year-old, the woman said: “I have experienced what I hope to be the lowest point, mentally in my life. There were days, at the beginning of my recovery period, where I could not leave my bed and that is simply because I did not see the point in doing so. I laid in the same position for days, questioning what I could have done differently.
Questioning why I was the victim and questioning if the pain I caused my family was worth walking back to my accommodation.”
The woman explained how she feared falling asleep because every-time she closed her eyes she could see Fortes’ face glaring back into hers when she asked him to stop.
“I often thought about the feeling that overcame me as I was under the bridge, a feeling of death, a feeling that words will never justify,” she said. This incident has ruined a lot of things for myself and my loved ones, but as my mum said, ‘it is only a blip’. I am a 20-year-old woman who has a lot to look forward to in life and I will not allow a stranger to ruin that for me. It has made me aware of the support I have available, which is overwhelming. I would like to thank my family, my friends, the police, the ladies at SARC, and anybody who has had any involvement in his case. I wish you all the best, I pity you Fortes.”
Image: West Yorkshire Police