Neighbour called police after hearing rape accused mention "a knife"

THE NEIGHBOUR of a man accused of raping a teenager and threatening to kill her says he called police after hearing a “loud” argument with a “knife mentioned”.

Thomas Singleton testified at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, in the trial of Tony Chapman (42), of Lindley Street in Eastwood.

He told a 999 dispatcher that he had heard a “knife mentioned” during the midnight row, as well as “furniture falling or something being knocked over”.

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Chapman faces one count of actual bodily harm, one of making a threat to kill and three of rape, against two female complainants.

Both women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were teenagers at the time of the alleged offences — Chapman was around 20 years older.

One woman alleges that, during one attack by Chapman, he cornered her in a bathroom wielding a kitchen knife.

She told police that the defendant had told her: “I’m not afraid to do it. No-one would miss you.”

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Mr Singleton lived near Chapman’s former address in Eastwood, in January 2015.

On the witness stand, Mr Singleton was played a tape of a 999 call he made on the night of the alleged threat.

In it, he is heard asking for police to attend, saying a girl in Chapman’s flat sounded “scared stiff”.

He told the call handler: “I just heard the word ‘knife’. I knocked on the door and he’s not opening it.”

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The handler asked: “Who used the word knife?” Mr Singleton replied: “He did.”

After several minutes, Chapman was heard to come to the door.

After Mr Stapleton told him he had called the police, he handed Chapman the phone.

Chapman told the call handler that it was just an "argument” and that no-one was hurt.

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Police attended anyway, but the complainant would not go elsewhere.

Mr Peter Hampton, prosecuting, asked Mr Singleton to confirm that he was the 999 caller on the tape, which the witness did.

He asked the witness why he had called police, about 15 minutes before midnight.

He answered: “It was loud and I thought I heard furniture falling or something being knocked over and shouting — it was loud.”

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But Mr Dermot Hughes, defending Chapman, cast doubt on Mr Stapleton’s memory of the details.

He said: “I think you told the 999 operator you had just woken up.”

Mr Stapleton replied: “Yes, I was in bed.”

Mr Hughes asked: “Had you had a drink before going to bed?”

Mr Stapleton answered: “Yes, I had a fair bit.”

Mr Hughes asked: “Was everything a bit unclear, a bit hazy?”

The witness answered: “Yes.”

Mr Hughes asked: “Is it possible, though you told the operator that you had heard ‘knife’, that you misheard?”

Mr Stapleton answered: “Yes, it’s possible.”

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Mr Hughes asked: “If you had heard the words ‘I will kill you’ or ‘No-one will miss you’, do you think you would have remembered that?”

The witness said: “I think I would have remembered, yes.”

The woman claims that, after police left the scene, Chapman raped her.

Chapman denies all five charges against him. The trial continues.

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