Stranger rapist jailed

A man who violently attacked and raped a stranger has today been jailed.

Liam David Stimpson, 24, has today been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment after he was found guilty of rape, following an eight-day trial at Cardiff Crown Court. Stimpson was also put on the sex offenders register.

The incident unfolded on 27 December 2023, when a vulnerable female who spent much of her time living on the streets of Cardiff ran to the Great Western Public House on St Mary Street in Cardiff, naked, distressed, with visible facial injuries, and told staff she had been raped.

The victim had been viciously attacked by Stimpson who had followed her into a nearby railway bridge underpass, where he initially assaulted her with a metal object and repeatedly punched her, before subjecting her to a prolonged and violent sexual assault which he filmed using his mobile phone. Even after she managed to escape by running away whilst naked, Stimpson chased her down, knocked her to the floor and continued his brutal physical assault upon her in the middle of the City Centre.

As a result of the attack, the victim suffered serious physical injuries which included a fractured nose and significant damage to her eye.

CCTV footage obtained was used to locate Stimpson and he was arrested.

Rhianydd Jones, Senior Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service in Cymru-Wales, said: “This case highlights the extreme violence and disregard for human dignity exhibited by the defendant. We are grateful to the jury for their careful consideration and to the victim for her bravery in coming forward, which has resulted in these convictions.”