Woman tells man not to come over - so he humiliates her with sex act

Joe Cooper has been jailed

A predator who met a woman on a dating site forced his way into her home before sexually assaulting her.

Joe Cooper, 34, of Prospect Avenue, Bramley, met the woman online before putting her through a violent attack. Leeds Crown Court heard on Tuesday, October 10, that the woman woke to find Cooper masturbating over her after turning up drunk at her home.

As well as sexual assault, on the day of trial Cooper admitted assault and criminal damage. A charge of rape was not proceeded with by the prosecution but has been left to lie on file.

Prosecutor Robert Mochrie told the court that before the sexual assault, the woman told Cooper she had a big day ahead of her the next morning and would not see him that day. Mr Mochrie said: "She noted he had sent her some messages on her phone and she tried to placate him and went home.

"At around midnight she was in bed and heard her front door open. She knew it was him...A door chain should have stopped him entering, but he forced the door."

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The court heard Cooper assaulted the woman, smacking her "several times so hard it caused her to fall across the room onto her bed."

The woman fell asleep and woke up to find Cooper masturbating over her. Mr Mochrie added: "He made a comment that she had brought it all on herself and then left."

The comment mirrored one made by Cooper to a Probation Service worker who interviewed him for a pre-sentence report in which he said: "It takes two to tango." Mitigating, Chloe Fairley said he was speaking of what others "may say" in situations like his.

In a victim personal statement, the woman said she isolated herself from her family following Cooper's offending, and feels "embarrassment and shame" despite her not being responsible.

She told the court: "Before this I was a much more trusting and confident person. I trusted my own judgement...I have struggled and still struggle to see myself as a victim. I didn't see myself as vulnerable before this happened...

"Because of this, I carry a sense of shame because this happened to me at all. I hate that I am the person who continues to feel embarrassed when I wasn't the person responsible for what happened. At times I was scared to leave my flat. Other than going to work I could stay inside for days. I was fearful of being watched..."

The woman said she withdrew from her family out of fear of retaliation from Cooper and now a mother herself fears he would target the people she loves.

She said of the court proceedings: "I hope, in future, other people don't have to wait for so long until the case gets to court. At this point, my life is very different to when the offences occurred."

Ms Fairley told the court a pre-sentence report and a number of character references, including one from an ex-partner, Cooper's mother and sister, had been given to the court. She said: "He accepts full responsibility for his behaviour."

She said Cooper does want to address issues he has with drink, and has already voluntarily attended three sessions with Forward Leeds. She said: "What is extremely clear is that this defendant needs the aspects I have referred to. It is very significant that he is somebody who has shown genuine desire to address these aspects.

"He is someone who is a hard-working individual and you have read from the references the person he is when he is not drinking. The reference from his mum is significant because she has demonstrates that she genuinely believes he is committed to making sure nothing like this ever happens again."

His Honour Judge Ray Singh jailed Cooper for three years and six months and told him: “While in drink you clearly change, you are somebody who is prepared to use violence [against women].

"You have not learned. The wake-up call simply has not hit you I’m afraid. You carried out the most humiliating and degrading act. There was no remorse; you found it funny.”

Cooper was also put on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.