Garstang man given 22-year sentence for abusing and raping woman

A man from Garstang has been given a 22-year sentence after abusing and raping a woman.

Luke Smith controlled his victim, telling her when she could sleep, monitoring who she was talking to, making her change her phone password and adding his own face recognition to her phone.

At times he would track the victim's location on her phone, turning up unannounced to where she was.

On one occasion he bombarded his victim with text messages, before turning up at her home and being sent away. He later followed her to a party at a pub, again attempting to get her to speak to him. Door staff intervened and sent Smith away, but when the victim left the pub later on, she found him waiting for her, appearing again attempting to speak to her.

Smith also raped his victim. Despite her asking him to stop, or telling him no, he continued to do so.

The victim bravely came forward and told police what had happened to her. Smith was arrested, and on his arrest told our officers, ‘Yeah, I have harassed her, I will admit that.’

In an interview, he continued to admit to the harassment, but continually denied rape, insisting that any sexual contact was consensual.

Following a consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Smith, 24, of no fixed abode, but formerly of Garstang, was charged with six counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour, six counts of sexual assault, sending communication of an indecent or offensive nature and stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

He pleaded not guilty, forcing his victim to endure a trial and re-live the facts of his abuse. A jury saw through his lies and found him guilty.

Last week he appeared back in the dock at Preston Crown Court where he was given a custodial sentence of 18 years, and a further four years on extended license.

The victim provided a Victim Personal Statement to the court, opening it with: “The events at the centre of this case have changed my life in ways I never could have imagined.

“The abuse did not simply hurt me at the time; it changed the person I was and left me having to rebuild parts of myself that I never should have had to lose. I have lost confidence in myself, in other people and in the world around me.

“I have lost my sense of safety, and, for a long time, I lost the ability to feel that I could simply live my life without being afraid.

Later on, she said: “What happened to me will always be something I survived, but it will never be the measure of who I am. I am not the person this experience tried to leave behind. I am the person who survived it, stood up, spoke out and is now taking back the life that belongs to me.

She continued: “No means no, and I should never have to be frightened that saying no will result in someone becoming angry, aggressive or continuing regardless.”

DC Kirsten Bell, of Lancaster Police’s Domestic Abuse and Vulnerable Adult team said: “Smith is a controlling bully, who repeatedly abused and raped his victim. She gathered the courage to contact us, and without that support, Smith may not have been brought to justice.

“Despite the effect Smith’s crimes will have understandably had on her, she has been incredibly brave and shown an incredible strength throughout proceedings. As she so eloquently put in her own victim statement – she survived it, stood up, and spoke out and because of that, Smith is now behind bars for a significant amount of time. I hope she can now begin to move forward and begin rebuilding her life knowing this.

“Smith began his campaign of abuse subtly – knowing her phone password, and who she was talking to. His behaviour escalated to stalking the woman and raping her. This was never love, it was controlling and coercive behaviour and abuse.

“If you are reading this today and think that some of these signs seem familiar to you, or to a friend or loved one, please speak out. Please get in touch with us knowing you will be believed and that we will investigate appropriately so that we can do all we can to get you justice.”