Serial burglar jailed for life after raping mum and 14 year old daughter

Carney was released early from an eight-year prison sentence five days before his latest burglary turned to rape.

He carried out the sex attacked when the mum opened her front door to investigate a noise outside - and he pushed his way in.

Carney threatened to stab the woman if she didn't submit to his sexual demands, before then turning his attention to her teenage daughter who had been asleep upstairs.

Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said: "This was a particularly degrading offence because it involved the mother being forced to watch her own daughter being raped and her daughter being forced to watch the rape of her mother."

Mr Bennett said the mum had been getting ready for work at her home in Splott, Cardiff, when she heard a noise at her front door.

He said: "She opened the door to see what the noise was while her 14-year-old daughter was still in her upstairs bedroom asleep."

Mr Bennett said Carney had been hiding behind a building container when she saw him "dishevelled" and barefoot with his feet "covered in mud and had blood coming from both heels".

He said to her: "Excuse me love can you phone a taxi for me."

Mr Bennett said the woman could sense "there was danger" and tried to close the door but Carney managed to get his foot in the way and force his way in and slammed her into a wall.

Mr Bennett said: "She noticed he locked the front door behind him."

The court heard she screamed as loud as she could trying to alert neighbours but Carney punched her repeatedly saying to her: "Stop f***ing screaming or I'm going to stab you."

Mr Bennett said: "At that point she became very concerned that her and her daughter were going to end up getting seriously injured if not killed by the defendant."

Cardiff Crown Court heard that the 14-year-old daughter dialled 999 from her bedroom and locked her door, saying her mother was being attacked downstairs.

She said: "I can't see her but I can hear her crying I think he has stabbed her. I don't know if he has weapons on him."

Mr Bennett said that downstairs Carney was attacking the mum in the living room.

He said: "He ordered her to take her clothes off, he pushed her to the floor and began taking off his own clothes. She was screaming and crying."

Carney raped the woman and when she tried to escape he attacked her further before demanding to see her daughter upstairs.

Mr Bennett said: "The mother told him her daughter was only 14 and said 'do whatever you want to me but leave her alone.'"

Cardiff Crown Court heard Carney appeared naked in the daughter's room snatching her mobile phone before attacking both victims in the mother's bedroom, forcing each one to watch.

Mr Bennett said when the mother "begged him" not to attack her daughter Carney replied: "Shut up you fat saggy whore."

He said: "He held her daughter's hand as she was being raped by the defendant."

Carney told the daughter part of the attack "was punishment" for her calling the police.

After raping both victims Carney told them: "I've finished now, where are my clothes?"

As he was leaving the home, police arrived at the front door and the mother told him he could escape out the back.

Mr Bennett said: "Cleverly, she deliberately rattled the key loudly in the garden gate to alert the attention of officers as to their presence."

She then told police: "Please take him I beg you, he's has raped us both."

Carney was arrested but denied rape saying he had no memory of the attack - he then told officers "those f***ing little sluts probably called me in."

He later admitted 13 charges or rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and theft relating to the ordeal on March 1.

The brave mother and daughter faced down Carney to attend his sentencing hearing and see him jailed at Cardiff Crown Court.

In a victim impact statements both mum and daughter said they felt guilty about not being able to stop the attack on the other.

The mum read her statement aloud, with the judge thanking both victims at the end for their bravery in attending the hearing.

Chris Rees, defending, said Carney, "is racked with guilt" and "disgusted" over the attacks.

The court heard he was a serial burglar with more than 40 previous convictions.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke jailed him for life and told he must serve at least 10 years behind bars.

She said that the fact that the mum and daughter were raped in front of each other: "Was deliberately and sadistic done to gratify your perverted sexual desires.

"You have a significant capacity for manipulative and predatory behaviour."

Speaking after the sentence Detective Constable Ian Booker from South Wales Police, said: “Stranger attacks such as these are extremely unusual in South Wales but, in Joshua Carney, we had an extremely dangerous individual.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own home and our immediate response on March 1 meant Carney was arrested at the scene of this awful incident.”

Kelly Huggins of the CPS said: “This was a shocking case in which Carney subjected his victims to a horrific ordeal.

“Despite the violent and truly degrading acts Carney committed, the victims showed tremendous courage and clear thinking allowing really strong evidence to be gathered, which enabled the CPS to present a robust case leading to guilty pleas.

“Nobody can undo what has been done but we hope that the conclusion of the Court case is some comfort to the victims as they rebuild their lives.”