Page 222 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

walked in. “What are you doing in my fucking house?” he said. Cliff jumped in
straight away with “I am DC Wesley and this is DC Bennett. We are CID
officers from Erdington Police Station, who are you?” The man gave his name
which I cannot disclose here. Cliff then said “Then I have to tell you I am
arresting you on suspicion of having been involved in a serious sexual assault
on a young girl here this evening”. After cautioning him, the man replied
“What I’ve been out”. In th car en oute to the station the man volunteered
“Look this is fucking bad, I’ve been out with a bird, out for a curry look”
showing us his curry stained fingers.

When asked who the girl was he was defensive “That’s for me to know and
you to find out”. Cliff said “Theil says you was with a mate and you both
raped her?” He replied “It’s her word against mine, I’m saying no more”. With
that there was no further dialogue and we arrived at the station where later I
was present when the police surgeon attended and took the necessary
intimate samples.

During later interview which took us into the early hours on the next day, I
recorded the contemporaneous notes of the interview of the man with Cliff
asking the questions. Suffice to say, his explanation was that sex took place
but with the consent of the young woman. I was present when he was
charged with the offence of rape, with no bail, appearing before magistrates
the next morning, remanded in custody for his court case to be heard.

Serious offences that carry a term of imprisonment of over six months have to
be heard at the Crown Court in font of a Judge and Jury.

Our arrest and interview evidence was accepted by the defence at Crown
Court months later so we weren’t obliged to attend. However I wanted to
see how this case was resolved. When he was found guilty by unanimous
verdict and the evidence came out about the date-rape drug, it was
immensely satisfying to see this rapist sentenced to ten years at her majesties
pleasure. One thing is for sure, sexual offenders in those days could expect
harsh treatment from other prisoners, so it would be a long time before this
man again knew the meaning of the word pleasure.

A word here about the victim. She did nothing to encourage her attackers,
she was in no way to blame for what happened to her.

Justice may have been served by the conviction and sentence of her
attacker, but it would be many years before the painful memory of her
experience would leave her.

Justice, like time, doesn’t heal all wounds.

Time heals all wounds, it is said, but it isn’t true. Time doesn’t heal all wounds Page222
for all people all the time. Timetables differ as much as one person differs