LIAM BOOKER FROM BROTTON SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS FOR RAPE IN EAST CLEVELAND

In a case that has shocked the local community of Brotton and the surrounding areas in east Cleveland, Liam Booker, aged 20, was sentenced to six years in a young offenders' institution after being convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl. The incident took place in September of the previous year, and the court proceedings revealed disturbing details about the assault.

According to the evidence presented at Teesside Crown Court, the assault occurred shortly after the two had engaged in consensual sexual activity at a residence in Brotton. The court heard that prior to the attack, the teenager had explicitly expressed her unwillingness to perform a particular sex act. Despite her clear communication, Booker called her into another room, where the assault took place.

During the attack, Booker forcibly pushed the girl onto a bed and proceeded to rape her. The victim was so distressed and in pain that she screamed out, and in her distress, she bit into a duvet cover on the bed. Saliva from the duvet cover was collected and analyzed, revealing the presence of the teenager’s DNA, which served as crucial evidence in the case.

Booker, who resides on Maple Grove in Brotton, denied the charge of rape throughout the trial. However, the jury found him guilty last month after considering the evidence. His defense attorney, Christopher Knox, argued that Booker had received positive testimonials and references from family, friends, and neighbors, and claimed that the incident lacked any aggravating features. Despite these arguments, the judge overseeing the case disagreed, stating that the sexual encounter had gone “dramatically and drastically wrong.”

As part of his sentence, Liam Booker was ordered to serve six years in a young offenders' institution. Additionally, he was mandated to register as a sex offender for life, reflecting the severity of his crime and the court’s stance on protecting the community from potential future offenses.