Prison for assaults by rapist with ‘no regrets’
AMAN who had already been arrested on suspicion of rape brazenly carried out another sexual assault months later despite knowing he was being investigated.
Josh Corless was jailed for 13 years for two horrific sexual assaults.
A judge said the 23-year-old had “no regret, remorse or shame” about both incidents.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how Corless, of Wavertree Avenue, Widnes, carried out his second assault even in the knowledge that police were investigating him for the first. He was first arrested after he raped a university student.
Both he and the victim had been on a night out with others and he had been trusted with getting her home because she was drunk.
Yet instead of helping her, Corless raped her, ignoring her when she said she didn’t want to have sex with him.
She raised the alarm to police the following morning and Corless was arrested.
The CPS said Corless was interviewed, charged and bailed. Yet the court heard he lied shamelessly to friends about that fact.
Judge Gary Woodhall said Corless even contacted one friend and said his victim was now under police investigation for making false allegations.
Six months later, Corless was involved in another sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl.
After Af meeting i with ih the h girl, il who hh he had spoken with before, he took her to woodland and told her to have sex with one of his friends, a man who was classed as vulnerable.
When she refused, he threatened her with violence.
She then had non-consensual sex with the man as Corless filmed it, later sharing it on TikTok.
He was later arrested and charged with causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and making and distributing indecent images of children.
Corless admitted sharing indecent images but denied the other offence right up until they went to trial.
He pleaded guilty to the rape of the student after she gave her evidence and, after a separate trial, was found guilty of the offences involving the 16-year-old.
The other man involved in that case was acquitted of rape.
Judge Woodhall, who sat on the trial of the second sexual assault, said Corless’ conduct when he gave evidence, in addition to later statements to the probation service, showed he had no regret for what he had done.
He said Corless continued to operate “without any understanding, comprehension or care about what other people feel”.
The judge said Corless was at high risk of committing other sexual offences against women and girls and jailed him for 13 years.