CCTV caught sleeping teenage girl being raped in Wakefield underground car park
A young woman has told a court that she still suffers nightmares and flashbacks after being raped at an underground car park that was captured on CCTV.
Despite the footage showing the sickening assault from 2020, Jamie Fretwell denied the attack but was found guilty after trial.
An impact statement from the victim was read out by prosecutor Camille Morland during a sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court today.
The girl said: “It has affected my entire life, physically and mentally. I’m still struggling years later.
“I felt bedbound about how depressed I was. I had constant nightmares and still do.”
The girl said she had daily panic attacks, that it affected relationships with her family and friends and still struggles to trust men.
The court was told that the 16-year-old girl had been in Wakefield with friends on the night of August 5, 2020.
They were drinking on the streets and Fretwell, who was at home, was called and asked to join them.
Fretwell, who was 18 at the time, bought vodka and met with the group. Eventually the others went home and he was left alone with the victim.
They spent time near the railway station dancing to music in a car in the early hours before they found a ramp leading to an underground car park around the Mulberry Way area, where they laid down.
The girl, who described herself as drunk, then fell asleep.
Footage showed Fretwell then moving drinks bottles that were between them and started touching her. He then raped her for around 12 minutes.
She woke up and realised what was happening but pretended to be asleep. Fretwell stopped and placed the bottles back between them.
After parting, she went to a friend’s home, told the friend’s mother what had happened and the police were called.
Fretwell, of Earl Street, Wakefield, denied wrongdoing.
He underwent a first trial at Leeds Crown Court where he was found guilty of assault by penetration, but the jury could not decide on the rape charge. He was re-tried and found guilty of rape.
Now 23, Fretwell appeared in court this week over a video link from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand.
Mitigating, Paul Addison said Fretwell continues to believe he did nothing wrong, but was sorry for what had happened.
He said he suffered from anxiety and depression and has autism.
Judge Andrew Stubbs KC told Fretwell: “She froze in fear, incapable of doing anything to prevent what took place.
“She is still affected all this time later. She was particularly vulnerable. You knew she was asleep.”
He told him his sentence would be reduced due to his age at the time, but said his autism did not contribute to his actions, saying he was making “rational choices”.
He jailed him for five-and-a-half years and put him on the sex offender register for life.