Teenager jailed for rape of care home resident

Repeat offender Dale Boocock was awaiting sentence for attempted burglary and was on police bail for another burglary when he subjected the great-grandmother to the "appalling" attack.

High on drink and drugs, the 19-year-old dragged his vulnerable victim, who suffered from dementia and incontinence, from her bed at Springfield care home in Bradford, then out of her ground-floor room, across flagstones and into the garden where he raped her.

The pensioner, who was bed- bound and required 24-hour care, died two months later – although doctors said her ordeal did not cause her death.

Following the sex attack Boocock, who was on bail for attempting to break into a house just days after his release from a young offender institution, left his victim in the grounds and went off and raided another house.

His elderly victim, whose condition was said to have been improving before the attack and whose husband visited her daily, was left bruised and bloodied after her ordeal in the early hours of September 15 last year.

She was found by staff in a distressed state and shaking after they found her bed empty.

While being treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary she told medics: "Will you go fight him? What have I done wrong? Go beat him for me."

The teenager was arrested later that day by police who had received a report of a burglary.

At Bradford Crown Court yesterday, Boocock, of no fixed address, was given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum term of four years and nine months and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

Recorder Colin Burn said it was likely he would stay in prison longer than the minimum term as he posed a significant risk to the public.

In a victim impact statement, the pensioner's daughter said her mother's ordeal had left her devastated and when she visited her in hospital she "saw the fear in her eyes".

In mitigation, Giles Bridge said Boocock, who has an IQ of 67, had not planned the rape and kidnap.

"He entered the home with the intention of committing burglary," he said. "He then took the decision with terrible consequences."

Boocock had admitted rape and kidnap, two counts of burglary and one attempted burglary.

He was sentenced to three years for each burglary count, which he will serve concurrently to the indefinite sentence.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Chief Insp Jon Hoyle described Boocock's actions as "vile and beyond belief".

He said: ""The only consolation I can offer the family is that Boocock was arrested soon after the offence and has been dealt with by the courts quickly and he will remain in prison for a very long time.

"However, this will never make up for the loss of a wife, a mother, a grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, after she tragically passed away just seven weeks after the incident."

The founder and creator of the Victims of Crime Trust, Norman Brennan, criticised the minimum term and added: "With judges giving sentences like this it is hardly surprising the victims, the public and even my police colleagues have so little faith in the judiciary to protect and to punish in a society plagued by crime."