Birmingham Crown Court has sentenced a 26-year-old man to 22 years in prison, after he was found guilty of raping a woman and sexually assaulting another while the victims slept in their private student halls of residence in Wolverhampton.
Akiel Flemming was also found guilty of entering a third flat occupied by a female student with intent to commit a sexual offence.
The jury at heard that, between 5am and 7am on 1 October 2016, Flemming entered three self-contained flats in the halls of residence.
He walked “unannounced and uninvited” into the bedrooms of two female students, got into bed with them and raped one of the women and sexually assaulted the second woman.
Flemming also attempted to enter a third bedroom, but when he realised that the victim was not alone, he left the flat.
Following the attacks, the victims found a bank card and a passport belonging to Flemming in their flats and reported the attacks to the police.
He was arrested the same day – and was charged with and found guilty of rape, sexual assault and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.
After sentencing, District Crown Prosecutor with the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, Claire Nicholls, said:
“Throughout this prosecution, Akiel Flemming has maintained his stance that consent was given by his victims.
“However, this was not the case – his victims did not know him and were asleep and therefore unable to give their consent.
“The law is clear that if a person does not consent to sexual activity – and the other person does not reasonably believe they are consenting but persists in engaging in sexual activity with them – then they are committing a sexual offence.
“If a person is asleep, the starting point is that they are not in a position to give consent – and it will be difficult for anyone engaging in sexual activity with them to assert that they reasonably believed that person consented to sex.
“The position is the same for people who cannot give their informed consent to sexual activity because they are incapable because of severe intoxication through drink or drugs – or they are too young to give consent, or they have been just been subjected to unlawful force, or they have a mental disability.”
Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers
Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving sexual offences, including rape, attempted rape, conspiracy to rape, sexual assault, grooming, child sexual exploitation, historical charges involving child sexual abuse, revenge porn, prostitution – and making, downloading, or distributing indecent images.
There are Duncan Lewis offices across England and Wales – and a Duncan Lewis criminal defence solicitor can usually reach a police station for interview under caution within an hour.
For expert legal advice on sexual offences, call Duncan Lewis crime lawyers on 0333 772 0409.
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