Irshadgul News report,
A man has been jailed for raping a sleeping woman, leaving her “depressed and anxious”.
Southampton Crown Court heard Shane Truckle attacked her when she fell asleep on a sofa at a property.
After the attack in 2017, the woman started having nightmares. He reported this in 2019, whose police investigation ended in December 2020.
Truckle, 41, of New Road, Netley, was jailed for six years and nine months on Thursday.
A jury previously found him guilty of one count of rape at trial in December 2022.
READ MORE: Southampton: Driver leaves cyclist with lifelong injuries after crash
In a statement read out to the court, his victim said: “It was on my mind all the time”.
He said, ‘I don’t like to go out to eat and I get nervous if I see people who look like him.
“Every time I go out somewhere I feel like I’m looking for her. I have nightmares, reliving what happened.”
She said the incident left her feeling “sad and anxious”.
When the case got delayed due to technical glitch, the police handed over the case to CPS. This meant that the file had to be resubmitted in January 2021.
Jailing Truckle, Judge Nicolas Rolland said rape “hanging [the victim’s] head for a while”.
Addressing Truckley, the judge said: “This is a blatant opportunistic crime committed by taking advantage of a vulnerable victim.”
The family broke down in tears as Truckle was wheeled down. The defendant was described by the judge as “otherwise a hard-working family man”.
Prosecutor Paul Fairley said Truckley had previous convictions for theft, burglary, disqualified driving and drink-driving, but no sexual offenses in the past.
Defending, Michael Mason said he had a full-time job as a site manager overseeing shop fittings.
READ MORE: Emily Lewis trial: Boat owner tells jury he investigated before crash
After the case, Detective Sergeant Claire Grant said: “This crime has had a lasting impact on the victim and her life.
“It takes a lot of courage for people to come forward and speak to us about incidents like this, and it should never be underestimated.
“I hope this case shows that no matter how long ago a rape happened, we will work tirelessly to target the perpetrators and provide expert support to survivors.
“We want our communities to know that we stand with them, and will do everything in our power to bring the perpetrators of these horrific crimes to justice.”
A police spokesman told the Echo that “due to the complexities in this investigation it took time to gather enough evidence to charge Shane Truckley”.
He added: “With any investigation there are many moving parts which means it can take time, each investigation is unique and as such the time from reporting to filing can vary Is.”
Follow the latest court and crime news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group – Hampshire Court and Crime News
a message from the editor
Thanks for reading this article on Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage – and much, much more.
Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all our stories, the e-edition of the newspaper including our dedicated app and an ad-light website.
If you’d like to have all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox, you can join the thousands of subscribers who have signed up for our newsletters.
These include our popular daily Morning News Briefing, Breaking News, Crime and Court, and the Southampton FC Bulletin – plus Business, Heritage and what’s on in our newsletter.