'Exceptionally dangerous' rapist who tried to kill woman with paving slab on his 17th birthday given life sentence

Teenage rapist Charlie Pearce, who bludgeoned a woman with a paving slab and left her for dead in an act of ‘animalistic savagery’, has been sentenced to life at the Old Bailey with a minimum term of 11 years.

Charlie John Pearce carried out the attack on the woman on his 17th birthday in July last year, having researched rape online.

He had denied meaning to kill the woman but admitted two counts of rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and stealing her handbag.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said Pearce had carried out a “predatory attack” with a sexual or sadistic nature and had “intended to silence the victim forever”.

He said: “The defendant set out that evening to mark his 17th birthday to find a woman to attack and violently rape.

“He can be seen on CCTV circling the park and hunting (the victim) down as she walked through the park. The attack itself was of animalistic savagery. The offending was exceptionally serious.”

Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, he was found guilty of attempted murder in December, having left his victim within a “hair’s breadth” of death.

The court heard Pearce had dragged the victim into undergrowth in Leicester’s Victoria Park, where she was found around an hour later by a cyclist who spotted a pool of blood.

The judge said she showed great bravery in going into the bushes to investigate and comfort the victim before emergency services arrived.

The victim, aged in her 20s, suffered ‘truly dreadful’ head injuries at the hands of Pearce.

The following day, police circulated a “remarkably clear” CCTV image of Pearce, running towards her holding the slab.

His family recognised him and contacted police following the media appeal.

MOST POPULAR ON YAHOO UK TODAY

• Psychotic father, 29, who tried to kill four children with a hammer before crashing their car into pub is jailed for life

• Florida school shooting: First victims identified as tales of bravery and sacrifice begin to emerge

• Body modifier chops off her own little finger to wear as a necklace – and covers her stump with tiny hats

• Seven things you didn’t know about the Angel of the North as iconic statue turns 20 years old

• Puppy love: Blind Golden Retriever is helped through life by his best doggie pal

She awoke from a coma weeks later, unaware of what had happened.

The defendant, who had been drinking in a pub, was linked by ‘one-in-a-billion’ DNA matches after his family contacted the police following a media appeal.