A County Durham Sex Offender, Steven Catlow, raped a woman in County Durham while she was having a seizure and has been jailed for nine years.
From a Christmas Day celebration at a house, 32-year-old Steven Catlow volunteered to accompany the woman home.
But on the way, the woman experienced a seizure and dropped to the ground behind Peterlee’s stores.
She understood Steven Catlow was raping her as she came around. The woman told the police about the incident, and an inquiry started.
Since Steven Catlow had first misled about what transpired, the matter took several years before the court. He modified his account to claim that consensual intercourse had occurred when his DNA turned up in the woman’s underpants.
Steven Catlow will spend nine years behind Durham Crown Court after a jury sitting there declared him guilty of rape.
The woman added in a victim impact statement: “My mental health has been up and down continually since that day.
“I can never look at Christmas Day the same again – he has ruined this day for me for the rest of my life…. because of what he did to me that Christmas Day nearly five years ago, I will almost certainly never be the same.”
Leading the inquiry, Detective Sergeant Erica Kilburn said: “Steven Catlow’s conduct on that day was disgusting – he preyed on a woman who was physically not in a position to help herself.
“He is a dangerous predator who took advantage of the woman in the most horrible way and betrayed her confidence.
“I want to thank the woman who has shown amazing fortitude and moral strength over this long-running inquiry and court case.”
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.