Rapist Denies Attack on Sleeping Woman – Jailed for Eight Years
A Chatham man has been locked up for eight years after raping a woman while she slept. Shane Baldwin, 31, tried to dodge the charge with a string of lies, but forensic evidence shattered his story.
Caught Out by Forensics After Shocking Assault
The court heard the victim was in a spare room at a Chatham address in May 2017 when Baldwin, staying in another room, sexually assaulted her in her sleep. He denied the attack throughout, first blaming it on being too drunk to remember.
Then came his bizarre excuse: Baldwin claimed he only passed through the woman’s room on his way to the toilet and accidentally fell onto her bed – insisting there was no sexual contact. But forensic teams proved otherwise.
On a second police interview, Baldwin bizarrely suggested his DNA was on the victim because she had been given his pyjamas to wear. The courts weren’t buying it.
Investigation Reveals Shocking Betrayal of Trust
“Baldwin inexcusably betrayed the trust the victim had placed in him in the worst possible way. He then told a series of absurd lies to claim his innocence, despite there being incontrovertible evidence against his assertions,” said Detective Constable Tony Devito, Kent Police’s lead investigator.
Devito praised the victim’s bravery in reliving the traumatising ordeal during the trial. “I am pleased that we have secured justice for her,” he added.
