Burglar who violently raped mother and daughter, 14, five days after being freed from jail, locked up for life

22 August 2022, 19:21

A burglar who raped a mother and her 14-year-old daughter after forcing his way into their Cardiff home while high on the drug spice has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years.

Joshua Carney, 28, carried out the random attack at around 6.45am on the morning of March 1 this year while the mother was getting ready for work and her daughter was asleep upstairs.

Carney, who is described as a career burglar, had only been released from prison five days earlier, having served half of an eight-year sentence for breaking into six homes around Cardiff.

At his sentencing hearing on Monday, Cardiff Crown Court heard that the older victim had gone to her front door when she heard Carney try the handle and then the letter box.

She stepped out into the street only to see the defendant, dishevelled and barefoot, hiding around the side of her house.

The victim tried to back towards her front door, but Carney asked her to call him a taxi.

Carney then forced his way into her home and locked himself inside, punching her repeatedly to the face before raping her in her living room.

Read more: Family pay tribute to 'shining light' Ashley Dale, 28, who was shot dead in her garden

Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said: "The defendant told the victim 'stop f****** screaming or I am going to stab you'.

"She at that point didn't know if the defendant was armed or not and became very concerned she and her daughter were going to end up seriously injured, if not killed, by the defendant."

The teenager had managed to call the police when she heard her mother being attacked, telling the call handler she believed her mother had been stabbed.

Carney then tried to break into the young girl's room, before her mother told her to open it, fearing they both might be murdered if they did not comply with his wishes.

The defendant snatched the younger victim's phone and realised she must have called police.

He then raped both of them in the mother's room, and also violently sexually assaulted the girl.

"She held on to her daughter's hand and she was lying there being raped in front of her mother," Prosecutor Leuan Bennett told the court.

Read more: British tourist, 24, 'raped near to a bar while on holiday in Greece'

Carney then tried to leave the property, only to be confronted by the blue lights of police cars when he opened the front door.

Fearing they might end up in a hostage situation, the mother offered to show him out of the back door and unlock the back gate.

She told police of her terror at having to walk through the kitchen where the knives were on show.

Carney was confronted by two officers when he stepped out of the back gate and immediately arrested.

He was taken to hospital, claiming to be high on spice and telling police he had no memory of the incident.

Whilst in custody, he told officers: "Those f****** little sluts probably called me into their house."

He later said: "When will the swabs be coming back because my memory is starting to come back? I'm innocent so obviously it's going to be proved."

After he was arrested, Carney refused to be interviewed and prepared a written statement stating he had no memory of the night.

He was subsequently interviewed in his cell where he remained silent and under his blanket throughout.

However, he later admitted all charges and pleaded guilty to six counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and two counts of assault by penetration.

The strength of the evidence resulted in guilty pleas and meant the victims did not have to give evidence in court.

The judge, while issuing his sentence, told Carney: "Your overall offending lasted for about 15 minutes but it was repeated and sustained violence and threats of violence, the daughter was particularly vulnerable because of her youth.

"The attack was deliberately sadistic and no doubt done to satisfy your perverted sexual desires and your abusive sexual remarks are indicative of your attitude - one of the rapes was punishment for phoning the police."

Detective Constable Ian Booker from South Wales Police, said after the case: "Stranger attacks such as these are extremely unusual in South Wales but, in Joshua Carney, we had an extremely dangerous individual.

"Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own home and our immediate response on March 1 meant Carney was arrested at the scene of this awful incident.

''This sickening incident is every woman's worst nightmare and understandably both females have suffered severe shock and emotional trauma.

"It must have been absolutely terrifying for them and they have been extremely brave throughout this ordeal.

"We hope today's sentencing brings some sense of closure and allows them to begin the process of regaining their confidence."