A man has been jailed for ten years for raping a sex worker in a brutal knifepoint attack in Leeds.
Anthony Riley, 24 dragged the woman to the ground by her hair. He then proceeded to punch and kick her before putting a knife to her throat and raping her. After the attack, he ran from the scene, taking two mobile phones from the victim.
The victim then fled and reported the incident to two policemen who were on patrol nearby.
After the reporting of the incident, police found that one of the phones stolen from the victim had been used to send a text to a woman. The text showed that the person who had sent it used the name ‘Tony’. Police then undertook research on the name, as well as the location of the attack and were able to identify Riley as a potential suspect.
Riley had been living in homeless hostel in Cemetery Road, Beeston. After initially evading the police, he was eventually found hiding in a cupboard at his sister’s house in Harrogate four days later.
The victim described the suspect as wearing burgundy trousers and the police’s investigation at the hostel showed that he had been wearing trousers of that colour on the day of the attack. Police found a piece of paper with a phone number during a search in his flat at the hostel. The phone number matched the number the stolen phone had sent a text to.
He initially denied any involvement. He then refused to answer questions when the evidence was presented before him by the police during interview.
The victim identified Riley and he was then charged with rape. During the investigation, the forensics team found Riley’s DNA and the victim’s DNA on the burgundy trousers he had been seen wearing on CCTV.
During the trial, Riley claimed the sex has been consensual. He also stated that he had paid the victim.
The jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to ten years in prison. He became violent as he was led from the dock and caused injuries to a dock officer. As a result, the judge gave him an additional six-month sentence for contempt of court.
Detective Superintendent Pat Twiggs, Head of Crime for the Leeds District, said: “Riley put the victim through an absolutely terrifying ordeal after deliberately targeting her as someone who was vulnerable and involved in sex work.
“He is clearly someone who poses a significant risk to the wider community and it is reassuring that he has received such a lengthy sentence.”
Detective Twiggs added that the victim “was supported throughout by the investigation team, our own sex worker liaison officer and third sector agency Basis […] without those combined efforts she may not have had the confidence to assist in getting this dangerous individual off the streets.
“We hope the professional and sensitive handling of this case will illustrate how seriously we treat all offences of this nature, regardless of the victim’s lifestyle. We also hope it will give others the confidence to come forward and report offences.”
(Image: Yorkshire Evening Post)
Shamima Noor