'Callous' man jailed for raping vulnerable woman

A "callous" man has been jailed for raping and attacking a vulnerable woman 23 years ago.

Inderjit Singh Bains, 46, from Wooton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, unleashed a "violent attack" on the woman after picking her in his van in St Werburgh's, Bristol, in 2002. The court heard he repeatedly punched her face and body, causing her to lose a tooth, before raping her.

At Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, Bains was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years for rape assault, and causing actual bodily harm.

Investigating officer PC Chris Quick said: "Bains carried out a cruel, callous and violent attack on a vulnerable victim, leaving her with horrible injuries and a lifetime of trauma."

The victim, now aged in her 50s, had been working as a prostitute when Bains picked her up at about 01:00 GMT on 10 January, 2002.

After agreeing a fee, Bains drove towards Eastgate, where she had asked to go.

However, Bains did not turn off and instead travelled to Frenchay, where he stopped in a secluded area off Stoke Lane.

The victim asked for payment first, Bains then pretended to reach for in his jacket before attacking her.

She had memorised Bains' number plate which led to his identification and arrest after she reported the incident to police in 2022.

To help protect others, the victim made a report to the One25 Project - which supports women in the street sex trade - soon after the attack.

This report included a description of the offender and his number plate. But it took years for her to report the incident to police while she dealt with the trauma caused by the attack.

In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said the physical effects healed over time, but the emotional impacts remain.

"The immediate impact of this crime on me was so traumatic that I used heroin to suppress any emotional impact," she said.

"I truly thought I was going to die that night, that kind of trauma is not easily fixed."

She told the court that there is still stigma surrounding women who are "trapped in the lifestyle" of sex work.

"For me to come forward again all these years later was the hardest decision I had to make," she said.

Judge James Patrick said the offence involved "a degree of abduction" and the attack was "prolonged and persistent", which had a "long-standing emotional effect" on the victim.

Bains will serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody and the remainder on license, and he will be added to the sex offenders register.

PC Quick said the victim had to spend the last 23 years without the justice she deserved.

"Her decision to come forward and report this offence is a testament to her enduring strength and courage.

"I truly hope this outcome will encourage other victims of sexual violence to come forward, whenever they're ready, safe in the knowledge their voices will be heard," he said.

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