Rapist jailed, Plymouth
A 32-year-old man has been jailed for 20 years in prison for a series of predatory rapes on vulnerable victims he targeted while out in Plymouth pubs and clubs.
John Chalachew, of Mount Gould Road, Plymouth, was charged with six counts of rape involving four adult victims, three women and one man, in 2018.
Chalachew pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted off all six offences by a jury at Plymouth Crown Court on 27 November. Today, Friday 12 March, he was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court to 20 years in prison plus a further eight years on licence.
It followed a complex investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police into the offences which happened between March and October in 2018.
The court heard that Chalachew targeted his victims, deliberately preying on their vulnerability through their intoxicated state as they were either leaving nightclubs or making their way home from them. Two of the victims were raped on the same night.
All three female victims were raped at his home, a multi-occupancy house in Mount Gould, while the man was raped in an alleyway in the Greenbank area of Plymouth.
The double rape happened after Chalachew took two women back to his home after meeting them for the first time outside Crash Manor nightclub on the night of 23 March 2018.
The women, one in her 20s and one in her 40s, had both consumed a large amount of alcohol and found themselves in a taxi with him and his acquaintance.
Once at Chalachew’s address they had a drink and listened to music. Both women woke up in different parts of the house at different times during the early hours of 24 March to find Chalachew raping them. Three of the counts of rape were in respect of the older woman.
Chalachew was arrested the same day but claimed the sex with both victims was consensual. The police investigation was launched into the incidents.
On 24 May police were contacted by a male in his late teens who reported he had been raped. He had been walking home from Pryzm nightclub when he was encountered by Chalachew who took him into an alleyway and raped him. Police immediately attended and the victim underwent a forensic examination.
The identity of Chalachew was not known at this stage. However, he was later identified by analysis of a DNA sample obtained from the victim which confirmed a match with Chalachew’s DNA profile. He was then arrested for this offence on 21 June and again claimed the sexual contact was consensual.
The final assault took place in the early hours of 6 October 2018 after the victim, a woman in her 30s, visited clubs in the city. The woman woke up in Chalachew’s bed and believed she may have been raped.
On reporting this to police, she underwent an interview and forensic medical examination with the assistance of specially trained staff and medical professionals.
Chalachew was further arrested for this crime and, again, claimed sexual intercourse was consensual. While the police investigation continued, he was made the subject of a Community Protection Notice.
The civil order, sought in conjunction with Plymouth City Council, effectively confined Chalachew to his home under a night-time curfew and prevented him from visiting night-time economy areas within Plymouth.
As a result of this complex police investigation, charges for all the offences were authorised by the South West Complex Case Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service in late November 2019.
Chalachew was charged on 4 December 2019 and appeared before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court the following day where he was remanded in custody awaiting trial.
Detective Inspector Paul Otter, senior investigating officer, said: “We are pleased with today’s sentence which has taken a dangerous sexual predator off the streets of Plymouth for a significant amount of time. Chalachew has maintained throughout, that all of the sexual encounters were consensual. They were not – none of the victims consented to the acts they were subjected to.
“Chalachew deliberately targeted them, preying on their vulnerability through their intoxicated state as they were either leaving nightclubs or making their way home from them.
“I would like to praise the investigation team for their dedicated and thorough work in this investigation. This has been a complex and challenging investigation not only in respect of the number of allegations but the sensitive nature of them.
“More importantly I would commend the bravery of the victims in this case who have co-operated fully with the police investigation and subsequent court proceedings to bring Chalachew to justice.”
Stella Waata, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit, said: “This was a horrific series of attacks, carried out by a man who sought out victims, alone or in pairs, at night-time.
“The prosecution was complex and took place under the additional challenges posed by the pandemic. Thanks to the excellent work of the police investigation team and close collaborative working with criminal justice partners, we were able to ensure that justice was delivered.
“I would like to thank the victims of these attacks for supporting the investigation and prosecution.
“We want every victim of rape to be able to come forward with the confidence that the police and CPS are dedicated to securing justice for them.”
Anyone who may have been affected by anything raised in this article can contact police in their local area on 101.
The Victim Care Unit can also help those who need advice and support. Please visit the following link: https://www.victimcaredevonandcornwall.org.uk/
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