LIVERPOOL MAN JAILED FOR PARTY RAPE AFTER DRAGGING WOMAN TO SECLUDED FIELD

Paul Sou, a 34-year-old man from Cassley Road, Speke, was sentenced to eight years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court for the rape of a drunken woman he targeted at a house party. The court detailed how Sou dragged his victim to a secluded field where he sexually assaulted her and then abandoned her. The attack occurred after Sou saw the woman smoking outside a house in south Liverpool and saw her in a vulnerable state, as CCTV footage showed him deliberately directing her to the isolated area. The court was told that Sou forced himself on the woman, who was unable to consent due to her intoxication, and that he did so with intent to rape her. The assault left the victim distressed, relaying her ordeal to her family who took her to hospital, and subsequently reporting the incident to police. Sou, who had 12 prior convictions for 36 offenses and was on license after a drug-related imprisonment at the time, continued to deny the charges, despite evidence including CCTV footage. The judge described the impact on the victim, noting that her life has been significantly affected, making her paranoid, ashamed, and embarrassed. Sou’s defense argued that his behavior was out of character, supported by character references, but the court emphasized the severity of his actions. The case was prosecuted by Gerald Baxter and investigated by DC Ged Farley of the Unity unit.