Rapist says he 'deserves to be jailed' after sexually assaulting teenage girl, Sheffield court hears

Sheffield Crown Court heard on June 16 how Jonathan Hatswell, aged 47, of Main Street, Bramley, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to committing rape and two counts of sexual assault against the girl in Barnsley on February 22.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, alerted a friend and her mother and police were informed and Hatswell was arrested.

Recorder Adrian Langdale QC said: “She found the strength to tell a friend and, in due course, her mother and a complaint was made to the police.”

Hatswell‘s case also came to the attention of police after he had made threats to kill himself, according to Recorder Langdale.

The defendant told police he had been drinking and remembered sexually assaulting the girl but could remember very little else.

However, he also told police that if the victim had said he had done all these things then he must have done them.

In a victim personal statement, the complainant said the incident has affected her physically and mentally and she has struggled to sleep.

She added that she feels she has lost her dignity after she had to be medically examined following the rape and she fears for any future relationships because her trust has been damaged.James Gould, defending, said Hatswell was a hard-working man and effectively a man of previous good character and he has expressed remorse.

Mr Gould told Recorder Langdale: “He knows your honour will impose a significant custodial sentence and his words to me are, ‘I deserve it’.”

Recorder Langdale said that the victim was plied with vodka but the chronology of his offending did not suggest he was drunk and he rejected the idea Hatswell had not been able to recall everything that had happened.

Recorder Langdale sentenced Hatswell to eight-years and eight-months of custody and imposed a ten-year restraining order.

Hatswell was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.