Rapist jailed after using mobile phone to film sickening attack on woman

A rapist who used his mobile phone to video his sickening attack on a sleeping woman was snared after his victim spotted the footage.
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Daniel Campbell struck when the woman was in a "deep sleep", after she drank wine on top of prescription medication, and used his phone to record what he did "to increase his own gratification".

Newcastle Crown Court heard when the victim stirred she realised her shorts and underwear were on back to front then noticed something on his phone.

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When she saw it was footage of what he had just done to her, she created a pin to lock the device and stop him erasing the evidence, then contacted the police.

Daniel Campbell used his phone to record what he did "to increase his own gratification".Daniel Campbell used his phone to record what he did "to increase his own gratification".
Daniel Campbell used his phone to record what he did "to increase his own gratification".

Campbell, 26, who went on to admit three offences of sexual assault and one of rape, has now been jailed for six years, given a restraining order for life and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Prosecutor David Comb told the court: "She woke to find her shorts and knickers were on inside out and it would become apparent that Mr Campbell had removed them when she was asleep and then replaced them the wrong way around.

"She noticed something on his phone and then when he went to the bathroom she looked at it, in the deleted items folder and she discovered that when she had been sleeping Mr Campbell had made a recording of himself."

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The court heard the video showed in graphic detail what Campbell had done to the woman, before he eventually raped her.

The case was heard at Newcastle Crown CourtThe case was heard at Newcastle Crown Court
The case was heard at Newcastle Crown Court

Mr Comb added: "The appropriate inference is the events were recorded for no reason other than to increase his own gratification at what he was doing.

"With unusual presence of mind, she changed the pin code on the phone while he was absent, to prevent him from permanently erasing the evidence of what he had done.

"Very quickly she passed the footage onto the police and, for his part, the defendant was arrested."

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Mr Recorder Jamie Hill QC told Campbell: "You knew she was in no state to give consent or stop you doing what you decided to do.

"In simple terms, you put your own urges ahead of her physical and mental wellbeing.

"In short, you abused her in an unforgivable way.

"It's only thanks to her presence of mind, having seen and then preserved that footage that you shot at the time, that the prosecution case has been proved.

"There was a degree of humiliation caused by your actions and a degree of psychological harm and you were taking advantage of someone who was vulnerable at the time because they were unconscious.

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"You are now genuinely understanding of how bad this offending was and are showing signs of remorse."

Tony Cornberg, defending, said Campbell was "isolated" growing up and did not have an ordinarily childhood, which left him "wanting love and attention".

Mr Cornberg said the rape itself was not recorded but the sexual assaults before it were.

The court heard Campbell, of South Burns, Chester-le-Street, has a history of depression and anxiety and is sorry for what he did and the harm it has caused.

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