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BEAST: Steven Readdy
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Tagged burglar raped girl of 12
Mike Slingsby2/ 6/2005
A MAN fitted with an electronic tag for burglary raped a girl of 12 in a derelict back yard - then gave her 50p to phone a friend.
Steven Readdy, 20, was sentenced to four years in a Young Offenders' Instituion - and the girl's father stormed from court in a rage.
The angry father had sat in the public gallery at Manchester Crown Court and listened intently as the graphic details of Readdy's attack were revealed.
After Judge Martin Steiger sentenced the rapist, the father jumped up and shouted: "Is that it", before hurling expletives at Readdy and rushing from court.
Readdy, of Vine Street, Abbey Hey, Manchester, had admitted raping the girl, but forced her to give evidence at a pre-sentence hearing by claiming she had consented to sex.
Judge Steiger later ruled that the girl had not agreed to have sex with Readdy after going with him to a derelict back yard in Abbey Hey.
Upset
Readdy was wearing an electronic tagging device at the time, but he was not in breach of the order - originally imposed for burglary.
The girl had been drinking wine and was with a group of pals when they met Readdy, who was told by a friend to leave them alone because "they are only little".
Readdy then left after his friend warned him "not to be a paedo", but met the girl again later by chance.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Nicholls said the girl was upset and crying after a row with one of her pals.
"Initially he tried to comfort her," said Ms Nicholls.
"He hugged and kissed her and somehow or other, she followed him into the back yard."
Readdy had sex with the girl, despite her attempts to push him off - and then he gave her 50p so she could phone a friend. She was later found upset and dishevelled.
Paul Hodgkinson, defending, said Readdy was ashamed and remorseful about what happened. He had been a model pupil at school and had been held up as an example to other pupils.
Since his arrest, he had been in isolation while in custody, but had been stabbed and beaten by other inmates.
Most recent 2 of 6 user comments
15/07/2005 at 07:56
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Was BBC right to let Wossy back to work?
What the girl was doing is completely irrelevant. COMPLETELY. Stop blaming the victim. Just because you say mean things about her attacker in the same breath does not absolve you.
15/07/2005 at 18:28
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