Man who raped woman at knifepoint in Derbyshire is jailed
Stephen Hastie had been speaking to the woman via a dating site for around a month before they arranged to meet up in person
A man who raped a woman at knifepoint after meeting her on a dating website has been jailed.
Stephen Hastie had been speaking to the woman via the dating site Plenty of Fish for around a month before they arranged to meet up in person on 23 December 2018.
In the early hours of 24 December 2018, while at a property in Derbyshire, Hastie held a knife to the woman’s throat, sexually assaulted her and then raped her.
He denied rape and sexual assault but was found guilty at Derby Crown Court on 27 April after a trial. The 35-year-old was sentenced the same day to ten years in prison with a four-year extended licence period. Hastie, of HMP Nottingham, must also sign the Sex Offenders Registers indefinitely.
In a victim impact statement, 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 offence was reported to police at the end of 2019 but Covid restrictions that were in place in early 2020 meant officers were unable to attend the prison where Hastie was being held on remand for unrelated matters to interview him. Once restrictions had been lifted, Hastie 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.”