Rapist who attacked mum in her own bed while baby slept has jail term cut

Ricky Lee Swift (25) was locked up at Sheffield Crown Court in March for sneaking into the woman’s home in September last year and assaulting her in her bed.

But judges said he must only serve ten years after agreeing with his lawyers that the jail term imposed was “excessive”.

The Crown Court heard the attack was only stopped when the mum’s baby began to cry and Swift, Redscope Crescent, Kimberworth, got up and ran away.

He was found drunk and pretending to be asleep in a garden and was later convicted of rape and sexual assault.

Judge Mark Brown QC, sitting with Lord Justice Simon and Mr Justice Dove, said the woman had endured a “dreadful ordeal”, but 12 years was “manifestly excessive”.

The Appeal Court heard Swift sneaked into the house after realising the woman’s partner had gone out.

The victim found him beside her and pushed him away, but Swift continued his assault, raping her while the baby slept nearby.

“He only stopped when the child woke up and she screamed at him to get out,” Judge Brown told the London court.

Lawyers for Swift argued on Friday that the impact of the attack on the woman was not extreme enough to justify a 12-year term.

There was no evidence she had suffered “severe psychological harm”, it was argued but Judge Brown said the mum had made a statement in which she said she was no longer the same person she had once been.

She was haunted by what had happened to her, she said, suffering from flashbacks which she feared would be with her for the rest of her life.

“There can be no doubt that she endured a dreadful ordeal when Swift raped and assaulted her in her bedroom, where she was entitled to feel safe and secure,” the judge continued.

“Although he was drunk, there was a degree of premeditation in the sense that he took advantage of the fact that her partner was not present.”

But he added: “Having stood back, we have concluded that there is force in the argument that a sentence of 12 years was manifestly excessive.

“We have come to the conclusion that an appropriate sentence for the offence of rape was one of ten years’ imprisonment.”