Chilling moment uni student carries severely drunk woman home before raping her
This is the disturbing moment a university student carries an extremely drunk woman to his residence halls before raping her.
Preet Vikal, 20, took a photograph of the victim in his room before attacking her, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Vikal and the victim, who did not know each other, went out in separate groups in June last year.
Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: "The victim had drunk to excess and by the end of the night was, plainly, hopelessly intoxicated."
The victim's recollection of what happened is vague but she knew she and her friends had started drinking at home.
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She said they went to a bar before ending up at another one called the Live Lounge where she could recall "snippets" of being there but could not remember leaving.
This is the moment Preet Vikal carried a drunk student back to his halls (Media Wales)Another clubber who did not know the victim became so concerned for her welfare that she sat her down and gave her some water, WalesOnline reports.
The victim was not able to stand up straight and was slurring her words.
At one point she fell in the women's toilets. The stranger helping her took her phone and sent a message to the victim's friends, explaining that she should not be alone in her condition.
The victim then left Live Lounge with friends.
Once outside the victim met Vikal, an engineering student who had been drinking in the venue.
Vikal, 20, took a photograph of the victim in his room before attacking her, Cardiff Crown Court heard (Media Wales)Vikal joined the victim's group as they walked along North Road. He and the victim then moved far ahead of the rest of the group.
CCTV, which was played in court, showed Vikal carrying the victim in his arms and later across his shoulders at around 4am.
He then laid her on the ground and lifted her to her feet. As they passed the Blackweir pub, the victim was walking but leaning heavily on Vikal.
Vikal brought the victim to his room at Talybont and took what the prosecutor described as a "trophy photograph" of her on his bed.
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The woman was so drunk she was unable to stand up (Media Wales)Although the victim was not naked, the picture was revealing. The victim had no recollection of the rape but she remembered waking naked next to Vikal in his bed. She did not know where she was or who she was with.
Mr Cobbe said: "She was bleeding..... She found her clothes folded, got out of bed and got dressed. The victim asked for the defendant's Instagram address and once she left, she messaged him asking him if they had had sex, and if so, whether they had used protection.
"The answer she had was that yes, they had, but they had not used protection."
The court heard that Vikal sent the picture to a friend later that day and said in the chat that he had "forgotten" to use a condom.
That same day the victim reported Vikal to police and he was arrested.
The following day he gave a prepared statement claiming the victim had been a "willing participant".
Mr Cobbe said it was clear the victim was too drunk to consent to sex, but Vikal pleaded not guilty before he finally admitted the rape on the day of trial.
The victim attended court for Vikal's sentencing and read a powerful statement.
She said she was left shaken and unable to sleep after she saw the picture Vikal had taken of her.
She said: "It was really difficult to pretend I was okay when I wasn't."
For five months she did not want to go on nights out and she said she still feels a sense of guilt because of the incident.
She added: "I now have a boyfriend and every little thing had to be discussed... Even little things like putting his hand on my leg. Even though I would want him to, I would recoil and wouldn't be ready to."
Louise Sweet, mitigating, read a letter from her client: "I write this letter to express my deepest apology for the pain and suffering I have caused [the victim].
"I understand my actions were wrong and may have a significant impact on her life. In the last six months, I have reflected deeply on my actions.
"Words can't undo the damage I have done but I hope my apology can be the first step towards healing and forgiveness."
Ms Sweet told the court: "This was not a predatory offence at all, but a chance meeting of two young people who were both heavily intoxicated.
"The court has seen the amount of alcohol he drank. He left himself incapable of assessing her abilities [to consent]."
The barrister asked the judge to pass as lenient a sentence as possible, pointing out that her client had experienced bullying while remanded in custody, "some of it racially motivated".
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke acknowledged Vikal's remorse and that his behaviour was out of character but said his use of alcohol that night was an aggravating factor, rather than one that would reduce his sentence.
She sent Vikal to a young offenders' institution for six years and nine months.
He will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody and the remainder on licence.
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