Serial rapist was given bail six times
A judge criticised police and magistrates who granted a serial rapist bail on six occasions before he went on to attack a woman in her own home in front of her child. Carl Hartley was given bail on multiple occasions over a three-year period.
A JUDGE criticised police and magistrates who granted a serial rapist bail on six occasions before he went on to attack a woman in her own home in front of her child.
Carl Hartley was given police or court bail on multiple occasions over a three-year period after targeting lone women at night.
The detective who was involved in finally bringing Hartley to justice described the 26-year-old as “without doubt one of the most dangerous sexual predators I have encountered”.
Hartley, from Leeds, was jailed for life today after pleading guilty to two offences of rape and one of sexual assault.
Leeds Crown Court heard at one stage, in May 2017, Hartley was charged with four separate offences of rape but was still granted bail.
He then breached those bail conditions and was arrested again and brought before magistrates. But magistrates granted him bail yet again.
Days later he went on to sexually assault a woman in her own home in Leeds as she held her three-year-old child.
Phillip Standfast, prosecuting, said Hartley tricked his way into her home in July last year.
The court heard Hartley raped a woman in February 2014 after following her from a pub. He forced her to the ground and removed her clothing in the attack near to Wakefield city centre
In May of that year he raped a 20-year-old woman in an alleyway behind Wakefield Prison in an attack that was caught on a security camera. The court heard Hartley was repeatedly granted bail after denying rape offences.
He was also arrested and bailed in connection with two other rape allegations which were eventually dropped.
Judge Christopher Batty said: “I cannot for the life of me understand what on earth anyone was thinking of at any stage until he was finally remanded in to custody.
“How he wasn’t charged is beyond me. How he wasn’t remanded in custody is beyond me.”
The judge praised two detectives in the case, Det Con Paul Gough and Det Sgt Phil Davis, for finally establishing “a pattern of offending” in the case and identifying Hartley as a serial rapist.
Hartley was told he must serve a minimum of six years and 117 days in prison but was warned it was likely he could be locked up for much longer.
Hartley will only be released from custody when he is no longer considered a danger to the public.
Judge Batty told him: “In my view you have no control over your sexual urges. You have no respect for the wishes of women.
“You are a sexual predator and a highly dangerous man.”
West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Tim Kingsman described it as “clearly regrettable” that Hartley had been allowed to keep his liberty for so long.
In a statement, he said: “Carl Hartley is a highly dangerous sexual predator who was investigated on multiple occasions by police between 2014 and 2016 in connection with the four offences he was eventually charged with.
“It is clearly regrettable that he was on the streets for so long and we wish to express our sympathy to the victims.
“We note the judge’s comments in relation to this case.”
Det Insp Dan Tillett of Wakefield District Safeguarding, said: “Carl Hartley is without doubt one of the most dangerous sexual predators I have encountered in 16 years in policing and we welcome his sentencing.”.
How he wasn’t remanded in custody is beyond me. Judge Christopher Batty.