Man who raped woman at knifepoint after meeting her on dating website jailed

Stephen Hastie had been speaking to the woman via the dating site Plenty of Fish for around a month before they arranged to meet up in person on December, 23, 2018.

In the early hours of 24 December 2018, while at a property in Derbyshire, Hastie held a knife to the woman’s throat, sexually assaulted her and then raped her.

He denied rape and sexual assault but was found guilty at Derby Crown Court on April 27 after a trial. The 35-year-old was sentenced the same day to ten years in prison with a four-year extended licence period. Hastie, of HMP Nottingham, must also sign the Sex Offenders Registers indefinitely.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: “I’ve not slept properly in three and a half years because I have nightmares to the point that I wake up sweating, scared, crying. Constantly in these nightmares it plays over and over again that it’s happening to me again.”

The offence was reported to police at the end of 2019 but Covid restrictions that were in place in early 2020 meant officers were unable to attend the prison where Hastie was being held on remand for unrelated matters to interview him. Once restrictions had been lifted, Hastie repeatedly refused to be interviewed.

Detective Constable Graham Barrett, who led the investigation, said: “This was an horrific attack which had, and continues to have, a devastating effect on the survivor.

“Her patience and strength throughout this case has been commendable and I’d like to thank her for her courage throughout this process. I’d also like to thank the witnesses who provided evidence and ensured that Hastie could face justice for his crimes.”

Officers appealed to anyone who has been a victim of rape, sexual assault or another sexual offence to reach out for help and support.

Derbyshire Police have added a Rape and Sexual Assault reporting tool to their website where anyone can report incidents that happened to them, or to someone else.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: “You can report anonymously, without giving us your details. We won't judge you; we'll treat you with respect, and we'll always put your health and wellbeing first.”

Alternatively, you can contact the force using the following methods:

Facebook– send a private message to Derbyshire Police Facebook page

Twitter– direct message contact centre via @DerPolContact

Website– use reporting tools on Derbyshire Police website or use online contact form

Phone – call 101

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.