BRANDON BOWMAKER AND CALLUM DOWSON SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC RAPE NEAR GUISBOROUGH

In August 2018, a harrowing case unfolded involving two young men from Guisborough who were convicted of heinous crimes against a teenage girl. The incident took place in 2012 along a railway line near Guisborough, East Cleveland, where the two offenders, Brandon Bowmaker, aged 15 at the time, and Callum Dowson, aged 16, subjected a young girl to a brutal assault that would leave lasting scars.

According to court reports, the girl was initially in a situation where she had engaged in consensual sex with Bowmaker, with Dowson present nearby. However, the atmosphere quickly shifted as both young men demanded further sexual acts from her, despite her clear refusal. The girl recounted to police that she was frightened and felt threatened when they threatened to abandon her in the dark, unfamiliar woods, leaving her stranded and vulnerable.

The assault occurred on a railway line close to Guisborough, where the teenagers took turns raping her. The court heard that the girl repeatedly begged them to stop, expressing her fear and distress as they continued their assault. Witnesses and evidence presented during the trial indicated that the two youths swapped over at times, further intensifying the trauma inflicted upon the victim.

Prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi emphasized the vulnerability of the girl, highlighting her fear and the coercive circumstances under which the crimes occurred. The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court, where the judge, Sean Morris, addressed the severity of the offenses. He pointed out that Bowmaker and Dowson were too young to be engaging in consensual sex, stating, “Children will be children and they will experiment and explore,” but underscored that the acts they committed were criminal.

Judge Morris described the case as one of the most difficult he had presided over, noting that he usually deals with villains rather than children. He remarked, “This has probably been one of the most difficult cases I have dealt with,” and added, “You are men now. All three of you, as the pre-sentence report describes, were children.”

The victim, in a powerful statement read aloud in court, detailed how the ordeal had profoundly affected her mental health, leading her into self-destructive behaviors. Despite her assertion that life was too short to harbor hatred, she made it clear that justice needed to be served, stating, “It is now time you paid for what you have done.”

Following a trial last month, both Bowmaker and Dowson were found guilty of the charges. They denied the offenses throughout the proceedings but were convicted by a jury. In sentencing, the court handed down four-year prison terms to each of the young men, reflecting the gravity of their actions and the lasting impact on their victim.