Rapist attacked terrified sex worker on Blackburn street

Philip Shaw subjected his victim to a terrifying sexual ordeal while she was out working at night in Blackburn in October 2019. He had previously been jailed for raping a woman in Runcorn in 2009.

The 35-year-old struck up a conversation with the woman, where a business deal was agreed for £40.

But when Shaw, originally from Palacefields, and the sex worker walked towards a more secluded area for some privacy, he forced her over a nearby vehicle and attempted to rape her.

During the hearing at Preston Crown Court, it was heard how Shaw had previously been jailed for seven years for raping a woman in Runcorn ten years previous.

Opening the case, prosecutor Alaric Bassano explained: “The woman had asked the defendant for money upfront rather than trusting him to pay afterwards. She told him ‘look, you need to pay me first,’ but the defendant declined to hand over and money and said to her ‘let me look what I’m dealing with’.

“He then pulled his trousers and knickers down. She protested and said no, that she did not want to and that he had to pay her first.

“As the defendant ignored her and made no attempt to furnish money, she challenged him by saying ‘look, you haven’t got any money, have you? I don’t want to.’

“He slammed her against a car and she screamed to a friend for help. The defendant responded by placing his hand over her mouth to quell her screams. He then attempted to penetrate her.”

The court heard how while there was no actual penetration, contact was made.

Mr Bassano continued: “The defendant, who knew perfectly well she was not consenting and who could see and hear her distress, was quite unmoved, insensitive to her wishes and appeared to care only about his gratification.

“He menacingly threatened her, saying he would kick the f*** out of her.

“The woman, who was crying, pleaded with the defendant to stop.”

Shaw was only stopped when a car drove past, causing him to pull away from the victim who then fled and called the police.

CCTV footage recovered during a police investigation showed how the whole period of offending lasted around two minutes.

Shaw denied trying to rape the woman and told police that before he came across his victim, he had spent his last £10 on oral sex from another woman. He went on to claim that he had told the woman he had no money, but that she wanted to have sex with him anyway.

He maintained a not-guilty plea all the way up to the trial, when he decided to come clean on the second day once his victim had already been brought to court to give evidence.

As a result of at attack, the complainant had suffered sleepless nights, stress, anxiety and has been left in fear of going out alone.

Jailing Shaw, of Parsonage Court, Sandown, Isle of Wight, for a total of 12 years and three months, of which 8 years and three months will be spent in custody with the remainder on licence, Recorder Geoffrey Payne said: “She insisted on payment first but you ignored that and pulled her trousers and underwear down before trying to penetrate her.

“She protested and resisted both by what she said and physically. It is clear that you knew full well she was not consenting. You said she had better ‘shut the f*** up’ or you would ‘kick the f*** out of her. You later tried to get her to give you oral sex.

“This was a terrible ordeal for her. She says she feels guilty for putting herself in this position and although that is clearly misplaced, those are very real feelings on her part. You were arrested and you did not tell the police the truth.”

Deeming him a dangerous offender, Recorder Payne added: “I am required to consider the issue of dangerousness - that is whether there is the risk of significant risk of you committing further specified offences and whether there is a risk of you causing serious harm.

“I am satisfied that you do posses such a risk. In particular you present a high risk of serious harm to sex workers and those women in who you have a sexual interest.”