Wiltshire man jailed for over five years after raping teenager in Swindon
Rooney Gardi was given a prison sentence of five and a half years
A Wiltshire man has been given five and a half years in prison for the rape of a teenage girl in Swindon.
Rooney Gardi, aged 23 and from Lyneham in north Wiltshire, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday (June 4th) after being found guilty of rape in March.
Officers from Wiltshire Police were called to a car park on Dammas Lane in Old Town in Swindon on June 30th, 2024.
When they responded, they found two members of the public who had discovered the victim - who had been injured around her face and body, as well as having no memory of the last few hours; she was also missing her underwear.
Following their investigation, Gardi was found guilty of raping the teenager, who is now aged 18, but still has no memory of the incident.
In his sentencing remarks, the presiding judge ruled that Gardi would need to serve a minimum of two thirds of his sentence, and was handed an indefinite restraining order against the victim.
In a victim impact statement, the victim - who was not named - said she felt "a mixture of disgust, shame, embarrassment, feeling scared and being overwhelmed", adding these feelings had "never gone away".
She added: "I often feel that if I hadn’t gone out that it wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have drank and you wouldn’t of taken advantage of me."
Speaking on the verdict, Detective Constable Anna McCormack from Wiltshire Police branded Gardi a "sexual predator" who admitted to having sexual contact with the girl, but denied everything else.
"He took advantage of a young girl who was vulnerable," she added. "The judge thanked the victim for her bravery, and I echo that.
"She is only 18 still has no memory of the incident. She has shown strength and courage throughout the investigation and has put her trust in the police to piece together what happened to her that night."
DC McCormack added: "Members of our community should be allowed to go on a night out with friends for drinks without having to fear that they are going to become the victim of such violence against them.
"But if you believe you have been the victim of sexual violence, even if you cannot remember all the details, please be reassured that we will investigate fully."