Ryan Callaghan, 33, convicted by a jury after they hear his victim’s account given to police weeks before she took her own life, traumatised by attack.
A rapist whose attack has been jailed for 10 years after his victim gave evidence against him from ‘beyond the grave’.
Ryan Callaghan, 33, raped his victim at his home after inviting her round to use a hot tub in June 2022. The woman killed herself eight weeks later with Judge Stephen Earl saying the rape was a factor in her death. Callaghan denied rape but was found guilty by jurors Newcastle Crown Court heard after an hour and ten minutes of deliberation.
Callaghan and the woman had known each other for years and been platonic friends, Judge Earl said.The jury heard details of her interview with police which was “clear and compelling”. The accounts given by the rapist were “inconsistent”, according to the judge. He also said Callaghan made attacks on the woman’s character during the trial “knowing she could not respond”.
The victim, who is not being named, fled into the street and was helped by a “good samaritan” who called 999. She gave details of the attack to police eight weeks before killing herself in August 2022, the court was told. She had also written notes in which she referenced the rape and the trauma caused by it. The court heard the “very complex” and vulnerable woman had significant mental health problems and an alcohol addiction. But she had walked close to his home on a day out shortly before she died.
She had been released from hospital only hours before Callaghan had raped her. Judge Earl said he could not say Callaghan, of South Shields, “caused” her death but the rape had been a “substantial element” in her thinking over the “last few weeks” of her life.
He said Callaghan’s actions had been a “significant point towards the end of her life” ,which she “found unable to deal with”. In a victim impact statement, her family said: “Every parent can’t bear the thought of losing a child, just to imagine that loss is horrific.
“We have to try and get through every day with the pain of knowing that our child was raped before she went on to take her own life.
“Callaghan might have gone to prison, but we are serving a life sentence in the knowledge of what he did.
“He left her completely broken as a result of his actions.”
They added: “Callaghan showed no remorse for what he did and no sadness at all at the loss of her life.
“It’s a shame everyone involved with the case didn’t get to see the woman we all know and love. She was a kind, caring, funny and bright young woman. She was loved by all who knew her and had so many friends.
“We’d like to thank the barrister and the jury for seeing through Callaghan’s lies.
“However, it is cold comfort for us all, as she is gone, and can’t ever know that she got justice.”
Following the conclusion of the case, Detective Constable Amy Burridge, of Northumbria Police said: “This was an extremely distressing case due to the circumstances surrounding the report – and what tragically came after for the victim.
“After speaking with the family, it was imperative for me to be able to give the victim a voice and have her story heard in court, which it now has.
“I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of the trial, and the sentence imposed today. This case truly sends a message that we are committed to doing everything in our power to bring offenders such as Callaghan to justice.”
Det Con Burridge added: “I’d also like to take a moment to recognise and praise the victim for her bravery following the offences taking place. “She informed a friend, and reported to police immediately, meaning we were able to quickly establish her account of what had happened, and fully take advantage of any forensic opportunities early on in the investigation.
“Even though she is tragically no longer with us, I hope her family can take some sense of closure knowing the person who caused her so much distress is now in prison and will be monitored by police for the rest of his life.”
Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse of any form can contact police by sending a direct message on social media, or by using the ‘Report’ forms or live chat function on the Northumbria Police website.