Jailed: Fiend who raped powerless woman in broad daylight street attack
A man who raped a woman in broad daylight before being chased off by a members of the public who threw water over him was today jailed for eight years.
Unemployed Gerald Malcolm, 48, met his victim in a library before they went to a pub to buy her a drink.
The Jamaican national invited her back to his house for another drink, but when the 28-year-old fell ill, he walked her part of the way home.
Members of the public spotted the couple having sex on a grass verge, and one man tried to throw a bowl of water on him.
Malcolm, of no fixed address, fled , but the victim could not get up after the attack, on Hanover Street, near Stuart Road, Rowley Regis.
It is awful that I cannot remember what happened to me, this was in the street in broad daylight. I would never have done anything like this in the street.
I keep blaming myself, I keep thinking that this is my own fault because I was so drunk, but he shouldn't have done this to me, he shouldn't have taken advantage of me.
Police arrived and found she was more than three times the drink driving limit, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
Malcolm admitted rape following the attack, which happened at around 4pm on April 25 this year, and now faces deportation.
Dc Sarah West, from the force's Public Protection Unit, said: "Rape is rape and there are no excuses, there is no grey area. Men need to understand that if a woman says no or is incapable of consenting, for instance through drink or drugs, they are committing a criminal offence.
"I hope today's sentence will help the woman move on with her life knowing the person responsible is behind bars."
The sentencing came on the same day West Midlands Police launched a new campaign to raise awareness of rape and serious sexual assaults.
Detective Inspector Jo Floyd, leading the force's rape awareness campaign, said: "Officers and staff across the force are able to spot the warning signs and precursors of serious sexual assaults. We want people to know that help and support is out there if you need it.
"Stranger rape is relatively rare whereas acquaintance rape and domestic rape can be more common; all victims will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and all offenders dealt with robustly where offences are reported."