Connor Farren-Bell, a Manchester Male Rapist has been incarcerated following an incident in which he was observed making an effort to sexually assault another individual of the same gender in a crowded nearby park, subsequently subjecting him to a sustained and severe physical assault.
Connor Farren-Bell, a 25-year-old individual, encountered the victim while seated in solitude on a bench in Alkrington Woods, simply observing the activities of the surrounding environment.
According to the testimony before Manchester Crown Court, Connor Farren-Bell was observed standing in front of the man with his trousers down and engaging in thrusting movements after they had consumed a bottle of vodka together. The victim appeared to be unresponsive.
As two observers passed, one coughed to notify them of their presence, prompting Connor Farren-Bell to halt. They then heard Connor Farren-Bell shouting: “If you were a woman”.
The man was then attacked by him, ‘raining’ punches on his head, face and body. He was later found huddled by the entrance to the park, bleeding and confused.
Connor Farren-Bell returned to the park and walked past the victim, who shouted: “That’s him.” When the witnesses told him what they had seen, he said: “Oh no, he hasn’t done that to me,” and vomited.
On the day of his trial, Connor Farren-Bell pleaded guilty to attempted rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. In 2023 Connor Farren-Bell was jailed for seven years and eight months, with an extended period of four years on licence.
Opening the case, prosecutor Daniel Calder said that on July 17 last year, the man had gone for a walk and was sitting on a bench by a lake when Connor Farren-Bell approached him. The pair began chatting before Connor Farren-Bell asked if he wanted to go for a pint, at which the man said he had no money, so instead, the pair went to a local shop and bought a bottle of vodka.
After sharing the whole bottle, the man began feeling ‘funny’ and was described by eyewitnesses as looking ‘insensible’ and ‘incapacitated’. As the two people, out on an evening walk, went past Connor Farren-Bell and the man, they saw Farren-Bell standing up directly in front of the man, engaging in a sex act.
Mr Calder said: “The witnesses coughed loud to alert him and noticed the victim had slumped to the left side of the defendant. They then heard him shouting aggressively, saying: “If you were a woman”.
“The couple walked on and could hear the defendant shouting as they made their way round.”
He said this later manifested into a violent assault. The victim, whose last memory of the incident was drinking from the bottle, said his next memory was walking away from the bench before he was punched by Connor Farren-Bell, knocking him to the floor.
During the attack, Connor Farren-Bell, who had ridden his bike to the park, used the bicycle to ‘pin’ the man to the floor. He was later found by the entrance to the park in a confused state.
After a couple of days, he was taken to hospital where he was found with extensive bruising and cuts to his body. Connor Farren-Bell was arrested after his phone was found at the scene and initially denied the attack in his police interview. He has since pleaded guilty.
In a victim’s personal statement read to the court, the man said he had experienced anxiety and suicidal thoughts. He said he felt ‘ashamed and embarrassed’ and has since had his sexuality questioned. He added he has a hard time trusting people and lost a year of his life because of the court proceedings.
Connor Farren-Bell was said to have previous convictions, including two battery offences on his record.
Mitigating, David Bruce said it was a ‘tragic case’. He said no force was used to engage in the sex act and that his client had not deliberately used drink or drugs.
“This isn’t a situation where there was violence used to facilitate the sexual abuse,” Mr Bruce said.
“It’s clear he has accepted a degree of responsibility, though he had very little recollection. He has expressed remorse.”
Sentencing, Judge Timothy Smith said: “The witnesses, and his family, said he was incapacitated and rendered insensible. There is no indication you were responsible for that, but you were responsible for taking advantage of him in that situation.
“This was sustained, prolonged, and you were out of control. He was fortunate not to have received more serious injuries.”
He said Connor Farren-Bell was described as having a ‘high risk’ of serious harm in a presentence report and that the trigger of the attack was not clear.
Finding him to be a dangerous offender under the sentencing provisions, Connor Farren-Bell, with no fixed abode, was jailed for seven and eight months with an extended licence period of four years. Connor Farren-Bell must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for release by the parole board.
Connor Farren-Bell was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.
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