'Evil' soldier who raped woman in Shrewsbury town centre then hid in railway station toilet is jailed for nine years

And despite confessing to police that he had raped her in Mardol in the early hours of July 6 last year, the 25-year-old forced her to relive “the worst moment of her life repeatedly” by pleading not guilty to the charges and taking the case to trial.

Harvey, joining his sentencing hearing via video link from prison, appeared relaxed as he sat up straight, listening intently as Judge Richard McConaghy jailed him for nine years, with a three-year extended licence period, in a hearing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday (June 5).

Referring to the victim’s 999 call after Harvey had raped her, the judge told him: “The audio of that call and the state she was in was harrowing to listen to.”

A drunken Harvey approached the victim down an alleyway, groped her breasts and tried to kiss her.

He then carried out the violent sex attack, which left the victim with bruising.

The victim called the police and Harvey, of Clive Barracks, Tern Hill, fled to the railway station, where he was found hiding by officers and arrested.

“You cooperated on arrest and made full admissions to having raped her,” Judge McConaghy said.

“The best mitigation you could have had would have been guilty pleas.

“You, however, chose to throw that away,” he said.

At trial, Harvey tried to claim the sexual activity was consensual. However a jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court found him guilty of two counts of rape and one of assault by penetration in a nine-day trial in February.

A victim impact statement was read at Harvey’s sentencing hearing by prosecutor Caroline Harris.

In it his victim said she has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety and had lost a promising career due to needing time off sick, leaving her with a financial burden.

“The offender has convinced me there are terrible people who can do terrible things everywhere,” she said.

“This ordeal has impacted everybody around me,” she added, saying she doesn’t go out with friends anymore and that her home is the only place she feels “calm”.

“I was forced to endure rape, I was forced by him to relive the worst moment of my life repeatedly.”

She added that had she not gone through with the trial she was “convinced another woman would have had the misfortune of meeting him”.

Paul Smith, mitigating for Harvey, said that in custody he is “starting training to be a mentor” to other inmates and is working as a cleaner at the prison.

“I’m afraid I do not accept that your remorse is significant,” the judge told Harvey.

“You had been drinking excessive amounts of alcohol on a daily basis. You had drank to gross excess.

“You told the probation officer that you could not control yourself when you were drunk. You pose a significant risk to the public.”

It is expected that Harvey will serve two thirds of the nine years in custody before being released on licence, with the three-year extended licence beginning thereafter.

Harvey will have to sign onto the sex offenders register for the rest of his life and will be subject to a restraining order, banning him from contacting his victim indefinitely.

Detective Constable Sam Jones, from Shropshire’s Reactive CID, said: “I am extremely pleased with the sentence that has been given to Harvey by the judge today, as he is a danger to the wider public, in particular women.

“In July last year Harvey committed a purely evil crime, and despite admitting to the offences during a police interview when he was arrested, he then changed his story at court, subjecting his victim and her loved ones to sit through a trial and relive that awful night.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the victim for her bravery and resilience throughout the entire investigation and trial.

“I hope this sends a strong message that West Mercia Police will do everything in our power to get justice for victims of sexual violence by putting perpetrators before the courts.”