Fareham rapist John Horne will not have sentence increased following 'degrading' rape on footbridge
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A MAN who raped a woman on a footbridge near Fareham Railway Station will not have his sentence increased.
John Horne was jailed for nine years following the rape of a 22-year-old woman in March.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard the victim got separated from her friends during a night out, and her life had been ‘changed’ forever after the ‘prolonged’ assault at 1am.
It took place on the bridge crossing Western Way.
Horne’s crazed attack only stopped when the woman kicked him in the groin, jurors heard.
Horne, of Broadacre Place, Fareham, responded by punching the woman in the face before smirking and running off.
The victim was commended for her bravery in assisting police, and the case was referred to the office of the attorney general – Fareham MP Suella Braverman.
Complaints were made that the sentence was too lenient, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
Despite the objections, the judge’s decision was not deemed as a ‘gross error’.
Referrals made to the Court of Appeal are dependant on whether a sentence was found to be outside the reasonable range for the offence.
Horne’s sentence was not extended, but according to the BBC, the solicitor general was said to have been ‘shocked and appalled by this case’.
The rapist, who has a wife and child, was brought to justice following extensive investigations via Hampshire Constabulary’s Operation Amberstone team.
CCTV footage of the build-up to the incident and extensive enquiries helped identify the 39-year-old.
Horne incriminated himself by leaving a fingerprint on the victim’s phone.
Judge Shepherd, who sentenced Horne, said the offence left ‘every young woman to look over their shoulder’.