UPDATE: Monster who raped unconscious woman at Sheffield house party jailed

Sheffield Crown Court was told how following a night of drinking Josh Shutt of Eastern Avenue, Arbourthorne attacked a young woman who had passed out in an outside toilet at a house party he was at on March 26 last year.

In the early hours Shutt's victim went outside to smoke a cigarette, and due to it being cold the woman took shelter in the outside toilet before passing out moments later.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, awoke to find herself lying several feet over from the toilet with Shutt, aged 21, raping her.

Prosecutor Ian Goldsack told the court how on realising the young woman had woken up Shutt pulled up his and his victim's underwear and clothing 'in one quick movement,' before getting up and making his way back into the house.

On re-entering the party Shutt lay down on a sofa and tried to pretend he was asleep.

The victim told her boyfriend, who was inside the house when the attack took place, and he confronted Shutt.

The 21-year-old left the property shortly afterwards.

The victim and her boyfriend went straight to the local police station to report the incident.

Despite refusing to comment under police interviews in March and June, Shutt pleaded guilty to one count in the first hearing before Sheffield Crown Court in December.

During Tuesday's sentencing Shutt's brave victim appeared in court to read her victim impact statement and to see her attacker jailed.

Sobbing and shaking as she spoke, the young woman said: "He has destroyed me with his actions. I can still hear him breathing in my ear. I can't get these constant flashbacks out of my mind.

"I don't feel myself around anyone anymore. I no longer feel safe. I am going to get support to overcome these feelings and his actions that have caused me distress. I have had 10 months of being unable to go out or to be alone."

She continued by telling the court how the horrific ordeal had impacted on her relationships with her boyfriend and parents, and that she now suffered with low moods, poor self-esteem as well as anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

Defending Shutt, Paul O'Shea asked Judge Michael Slater to consider the defendant's young age and relatively minor criminal record, which did not contain any convictions of a similar nature when imposing his sentence.

He added that everyone at the party was considerably drunk, and that Shutt's attack had not been a premeditated one.

On sentencing Shutt to seven years in prison, Judge Slater said: "Your victim has to live with what happened for the rest of her life. You have caused significant damage for no reason you can explain other than you were drunk.

"It is clear from the statement she delivered in court that she has suffered and will continue to suffer considerable psychological problems for which she has to have medical treatment and counselling."