Women sexually assaulted by a house guest as she slept with her boyfriend

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A Dunstable woman was sexually assaulted in her bed by a man who was waiting to stand trial for rape.

The victim was asleep with her boyfriend when Ryan Ricketts, who was staying with them, came into the room, and attacked her.

Prosecutor Tim Naik told Luton Crown Court on Monday, October 19 2020, that Ricketts, now 28, had come down from Birmingham for a night out with the couple on 30th December 2017.

“They had a fairly heavy night of drinking. The defendant was sleeping downstairs.

“She (the victim) awoke and became aware of sexual activity. He was pulling her trousers down. There was a short, but intense period of sexual activity.

“She could feel Mr Rickett’s Afro hair and woke her boyfriend. When he woke up, Mr Ricketts ran from the room.”

In a victim statement the woman said the assault left her feeling “dirty and disgusted.”

She stayed away from her home for a week and when she returned she and her boyfriend rearranged the furniture in her bedroom.

The following month Ricketts was jailed for 12 years at Birmingham crown court for twice raping a woman in October 2016. Ricketts, previously from Birmingham but now a serving prisoner, pleaded guilty to four offences of sexual assault and one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Defending, Rhodri James asked for credit for his guilty plea, which came on the day of his trial.

The judge Recorder Peter Guest sentence Ricketts to two more years in jail to run consecutively to the 12 year sentence. He told Ricketts he had harmed his victim psychologically telling him: “She had done absolutely nothing wrong.”

The judge said: “It was a breach of trust. You had been invited into the home of the victim.”

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