A man who raped a woman at knifepoint after meeting her on a dating website has been jailed at HMP Nottingham.
Stephen Hastie, 35, met his victim through dating site Plenty of Fish, and after speaking for a month they arranged to meet up on December 23, 2018.
Hastie held a knife to the woman’s throat, then sexually assaulted and raped her in the early hours of December 24, 2018.
Hastie denied charges of rape and sexual assault, but was found guilty after a trial at Derby Crown Court on April 27, 2023.
The 35-year-old has been sentenced to ten years in prison at HMP Nottingham, with a four year extended licence period.
Hastie must sign the Sex Offenders Registers indefinitely.
In the victim’s impact statement read out in court, the woman said: “I’ve not slept properly in three and a half years because I have nightmares to the point that I wake up sweating, scared, crying. Constantly in these nightmares it plays over and over again that it’s happening to me again.”
The victim reported the offence to police at the end of 2019, but due to Covid restrictions, officers were unable to interview Hastie at the prison where he had been previously remanded on unrelated matters.
Once the restrictions were lifted, Hastie had repeatedly refused to be interviewed.
Detective Constable Graham Barrett, who led the investigation, said: “This was an horrific attack which had, and continues to have, a devastating effect on the survivor.
“Her patience and strength throughout this case has been commendable and I’d like to thank her for her courage throughout this process. I’d also like to thank the witnesses who provided evidence and ensured that Hastie could face justice for his crimes.”
