Latest news with #JohnHarvey
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Moment evil soldier who raped woman in town centre is caught cowering in toilet cubicle after fleeing ‘horrific' attack
THIS is the moment an "evil" soldier who raped a woman after dragging her off the street was caught hiding in a loo. Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that Private John Harvey didn't know the woman, who is in her 20s. 4 4 4 The 25-year-old man targeted her and dragged her off the street in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He then raped the terrified victim twice during the "horrific" 20-minute attack. Harvey, who lived at a military barracks near Market Drayton and had a "respectable" army career, attacked the woman in the early hours of July 6 last year. After raping her, Harvey - who is said to be an "educated man with a degree" - fled and the woman bravely called police. Later, Judge Richard McConaghy said the recording of the 999 call was "harrowing" to listen to. Cops swarmed the area in their hunt for the sick soldier. Harvey was found hours later at around 6.30am, cowering inside a toilet cubicle at Shrewsbury train station. He had missed his last train and headed back towards the woman he attacked. But a court heard he was "put off" by the fact she was on the phone to the police and went back to the train station to hide. Bodycam footage showed the moment officers handcuffed him after forcing open the door. Harvey initially admitted raping the woman but then changed his plea, forcing the survivor to face him in court. During the trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court, the jury heard the victim had been forced to relive "the worst moment of my life repeatedly". Following a nine-day trial in February, Harvey was found guilty of rape by a unanimous verdict. Yesterday, he was jailed for nine years and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life. 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. "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." 4
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Army private raped stranger in doorway before hiding in railway station toilet
An Army soldier who raped a stranger in a doorway in the early hours and then hid in a railway station toilet cubicle, has been jailed for nine years. Private John Harvey made a full confession to police after accosting and attacking the young woman as she walked through Shrewsbury town centre. But he then pleaded not guilty and forced her to 'relive the worst moment of my life' by giving evidence at a nine-day trial. Harvey, of Clive Barracks in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, Shropshire, was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of assault by penetration at Shrewsbury Crown Court in February. Harvey, 25, appeared relaxed in a video-link from HMP Hewell at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday, as Judge Richard McConaghy told him the offence was aggravated by the fact he was drunk and the 'vulnerable' woman was walking alone at night. The judge told Harvey: 'She walked away and rang 999, audio of that call in the state that she was in is harrowing to listen to.' The court heard Harvey, who had missed his last train, went back towards the woman after the sexual assaults, but was 'put off' as she was on the phone to police, and went instead to Shrewsbury railway station. Video released by West Mercia Police after Harvey was jailed showed him being arrested by officers at the station at 6.32am in July last year. The video clip shows officers ordering Harvey to open the cubicle and then handcuffing him before he provided his name. Harvey, who was also ordered to serve an extended three-year period on licence after his eventual release, was said by the judge to be an 'educated man with a degree' and to have had a 'respectable career' at the time of the attack. In a victim impact statement to the court read by counsel, the woman, who cannot be identified, said her 20-minute ordeal had left her with post-traumatic disorder. The woman said: 'My home has become the only place I feel calm. The offender has convinced me terrible people who can do terrible things are everywhere.' 'I was forced to endure rape. The offender also forced me to fight my corner in a trial. I was forced by him to relive the worst moment of my life repeatedly. 'This event from the beginning to the end is the worst and hardest thing I have ever had to endure.' During his sentencing remarks, the judge told Harvey, who is now working as a prison cleaner and training as a mentor: 'You co-operated on arrest and made full admissions to having raped her. 'You however chose to throw that mitigation away by contesting the trial in the face of very strong evidence and made her give evidence despite your own confession of what you had done.' After the sentencing, Detective Constable Sam Jones 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.' No details of Harvey's military service or his employment by the Army were disclosed at his sentencing hearing. Clive Barracks is the long-term home of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. In a statement which did not confirm details of Harvey's unit, an Army spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that Private John Harvey appeared for sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on June 5 2025, convicted of a sexual offence. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.'
Metro
5 days ago
- Metro
Soldier who raped stranger in 'harrowing' street attack jailed for nine years
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A soldier who tried to hide in a railway station cubicle after raping a stranger in a doorway in a 'harrowing' attack has been jailed for nine years. Private John Harvey, 25, initially gave police a full confession after accosting and attacking the young woman as she walked through Shrewsbury town centre. But he then forced her to 'relive the worst moment of my life' by pleading not guilty and making her give evidence at his nine-day trial. In a victim impact statement read at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, the woman, who cannot be identified, said her 20-minute ordeal had left her with post-traumatic disorder. She said: 'My home has become the only place I feel calm. The offender has convinced me terrible people who can do terrible things are everywhere. 'I was forced to endure rape. The offender also forced me to fight my corner in a trial. I was forced by him to relive the worst moment of my life repeatedly. 'This event from the beginning to the end is the worst and hardest thing I have ever had to endure.' Harvey, of Clive Barracks in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, Shropshire, was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of assault by penetration. Judge Richard McConaghy told him the offence was aggravated by the fact he was drunk and the 'vulnerable' woman was walking alone at night. He told Harvey: 'She walked away and rang 999, audio of that call in the state that she was in is harrowing to listen to.' The court heard Harvey, who had missed his last train, went back towards the woman after the sexual assaults, but was 'put off' as she was on the phone to police, and went instead to Shrewsbury railway station. Video released by West Mercia Police after Harvey was jailed showed him being arrested by officers at the station at 6.32am in July last year. The video clip shows officers ordering Harvey to open the cubicle and then handcuffing him before he provided his name. Harvey, who was also ordered to serve an extended three-year period on licence after his eventual release, was said by the judge to be an 'educated man with a degree' and to have had a 'respectable career' at the time of the attack. The judge told Harvey, who is now working as a prison cleaner and training as a mentor: 'You co-operated on arrest and made full admissions to having raped her. 'You however chose to throw that mitigation away by contesting the trial in the face of very strong evidence and made her give evidence despite your own confession of what you had done.' After the sentencing, Detective Constable Sam Jones said Harvey 'is a danger to the wider public, in particular, women'. More Trending The officer added: '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.' No details of Harvey's military service or his employment by the Army were disclosed at his sentencing hearing. Clive Barracks is the long-term home of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. In a statement which did not confirm details of Harvey's unit, an Army spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that Private John Harvey appeared for sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on June 5, 2025, convicted of a sexual offence. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Dozens of buses alight as fire rips through Philadelphia bus depot MORE: Madeleine McCann searches called to a halt after three days MORE: Oscar Pistorius in first appearance at sports event since murdering girlfriend
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Moment 'evil' rapist soldier is caught hiding in toilet after assaulting woman twice in brutal street attack
This is the moment an 'evil' rapist was caught hiding in a railway toilet after raping a woman in a doorway in the early hours of the morning. Private John Harvey, 25, targeted a woman, who was not known to him, before dragging her away from a street in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. In a 'horrific' 20-minute attack, he raped the victim, who cannot be named or identified, twice in the historic Mardol area of the market town on July 6 last year. A shocking clip, released by West Mercia Police after Harvey shows officers ordering the disgraced soldier to open a cubicle door after committing a sexual assault. He was then arrested by officers, who forced open the door, at the Shrewsbury before brazenly asking if he could go to the bathroom first. During a nine-day trial, where he was sentenced to nine years behind bars, it was heard Harvey, who missed his last train, went back towards the woman after the assaults. However, the court was told he was 'put off' as she was on the phone to police, so he went to the station, where he hid in a cubicle toilet. Of the 999 call from the 'vulnerable' woman, Judge Richard McConaghy said: 'She walked away and rang 999, audio of that call in the state that she was in is harrowing to listen to.' Following his arrest, Harvey made a full confession to police after accosting and attacking the young woman as she walked through Shrewsbury town centre. But he then pleaded not guilty and forced the victim to 'relive the worst moment of my life' by giving evidence at a nine-day trial. Harvey, of Clive Barracks in Tern Hill was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of assault by penetration in February. The 25-year-old appeared relaxed in a video-link from HMP Hewell at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday, as the judge said the offence was aggravated by the fact he was drunk and the 'vulnerable' woman was walking alone at night.. Harvey, who was also ordered to serve an extended three-year period on licence after his eventual release, was described by the judge to be an 'educated man with a degree' and to have had a 'respectable career' at the time of the attack. In a victim impact statement to the court read by counsel, the woman, who cannot be identified, said her 20-minute ordeal had left her with post-traumatic disorder. The woman said: 'My home has become the only place I feel calm. The offender has convinced me terrible people who can do terrible things are everywhere.' 'I was forced to endure rape. The offender also forced me to fight my corner in a trial. I was forced by him to relive the worst moment of my life repeatedly. 'This event from the beginning to the end is the worst and hardest thing I have ever had to endure.' Sentencing Harvey, the judge said: 'You co-operated on arrest and made full admissions to having raped her. 'You however chose to throw that mitigation away by contesting the trial in the face of very strong evidence and made her give evidence despite your own confession of what you had done.' Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Sam Jones 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.' No details of Harvey's military service or his employment by the Army were disclosed at his sentencing hearing. Clive Barracks is the long-term home of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. In a statement which did not confirm details of Harvey's unit, an Army spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that Private John Harvey appeared for sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on June 5 2025, convicted of a sexual offence. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.'
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Army private who carried out ‘harrowing' rape of stranger jailed for nine years
An Army soldier who raped a stranger in a doorway in the early hours and then hid in a railway station toilet cubicle, has been jailed for nine years. Private John Harvey made a full confession to police after accosting and attacking the young woman as she walked through Shrewsbury town centre. But he then pleaded not guilty and forced her to 'relive the worst moment of my life' by giving evidence at a nine-day trial. Harvey, of Clive Barracks in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, Shropshire, was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of assault by penetration at Shrewsbury Crown Court in February. Harvey, 25, appeared relaxed in a video-link from HMP Hewell at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday, as Judge Richard McConaghy told him the offence was aggravated by the fact he was drunk and the 'vulnerable' woman was walking alone at night. The judge told Harvey: 'She walked away and rang 999, audio of that call in the state that she was in is harrowing to listen to.' The court heard Harvey, who had missed his last train, went back towards the woman after the sexual assaults, but was 'put off' as she was on the phone to police, and went instead to Shrewsbury railway station. Video released by West Mercia Police after Harvey was jailed showed him being arrested by officers at the station at 6.32am in July last year. The video clip shows officers ordering Harvey to open the cubicle and then handcuffing him before he provided his name. Harvey, who was also ordered to serve an extended three-year period on licence after his eventual release, was said by the judge to be an 'educated man with a degree' and to have had a 'respectable career' at the time of the attack. In a victim impact statement to the court read by counsel, the woman, who cannot be identified, said her 20-minute ordeal had left her with post-traumatic disorder. The woman said: 'My home has become the only place I feel calm. The offender has convinced me terrible people who can do terrible things are everywhere.' 'I was forced to endure rape. The offender also forced me to fight my corner in a trial. I was forced by him to relive the worst moment of my life repeatedly. 'This event from the beginning to the end is the worst and hardest thing I have ever had to endure.' During his sentencing remarks, the judge told Harvey, who is now working as a prison cleaner and training as a mentor: 'You co-operated on arrest and made full admissions to having raped her. 'You however chose to throw that mitigation away by contesting the trial in the face of very strong evidence and made her give evidence despite your own confession of what you had done.' After the sentencing, Detective Constable Sam Jones 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.' No details of Harvey's military service or his employment by the Army were disclosed at his sentencing hearing. Clive Barracks is the long-term home of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. In a statement which did not confirm details of Harvey's unit, an Army spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that Private John Harvey appeared for sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on June 5 2025, convicted of a sexual offence. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.'
