A dangerous sexual predator, the Bishop Auckland Rapist Joseph Holmes, feigned homelessness before attempting to abduct a woman from the street late at night.
Joseph Holmes has been incarcerated for 10 years, as a judge revealed that his most recent assault was the second instance in which he has preyed upon an alone woman traversing a city centre.
Joseph Holmes, 51, was seated with a sleeping bag covering him on Duke Street in Darlington during the early hours of December 18 of the previous year. Subsequently, law enforcement discovered CCTV evidence of him trailing one woman, who successfully escaped.
Joseph Holmes subsequently seated himself and awaited the passage of another woman alone. Upon observing a solitary female, he pursued her.
Prosecutor Sam Faulks has told Teesside Crown Court that when the woman crossed the street to get away, Holmes crossed the street too.
The woman then crossed back to the other side, and Joseph Holmes did too. He then got hold of his victim “and tried to drag her onto Raby Terrace where it is more secluded”.
A judge found that Joseph Holmes had intended to sexually assault the woman, but that his attack was stopped after a man saw him trying to drag her into a back alley and intervened.
Joseph Holmes, of Finkle Street in Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault and assault on the day his trial was due to start – having previously denied the charges. The court heard that he has 111 previous convictions for 205 offences, including a similar attack where he dragged a woman to the floor in Durham city centre in 2017.
Joseph Holmes put his hand up the woman’s skirt and sexually assaulted her. He was jailed for four years.
In an emotional statement, Holmes’ latest victim – who is in her 30’s – said she had problems with sleep and nightmares since the attack.
She said: “I wake up screaming due to the incident. I feel sad all of the time. I have severe panic attacks and I have been binge drinking to block out the memories of that night. I feel scared to be alone or go out in the dark. At times I have contemplated suicide.”
Robert Mochrie, defending, said his client had not planned the attack, but that it was “opportunistic, whilst he was drunk.
“This is a man with significant problems himself,” Mr Mochrie continued. “He is an alcoholic. He has related dementia caused by lack of vitamin B1.”
Judge Benjamin Nolan told Joseph Holmes that he was “entirely satisfied, with your previous record, that you intended to sexually assault her. In your case, you pose a high risk for sexual assault and violence.”
The judge categorised Holmes as a “dangerous offender” and jailed him for 10 years. He will sign the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.