A Metropolitan Police officer who raped a woman in her home after a New Year's Eve party has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Rupert Edwards, 33, of Bexhill, East Sussex, was a serving officer at the time of the attack, which occurred while he was off duty.
Details of the attack
Prosecutor John Clifford told Southwark Crown Court that the victim fell asleep on a sofa after drinking heavily as midnight approached. She woke up covered in chocolates that other partygoers had been trying to throw in her mouth. Edwards arrived at the party in London after midnight, the court heard.
The victim had only vague recollections of the night but remembered sharing a taxi with Edwards and thinking it strange that he did not get out before her. Edwards had diverted the Uber from his own home to the victim's address. The next thing she remembered was waking up next to him in her bed, both naked. Edwards made a crass remark about having had sex, leaving the victim feeling 'disgusted'. She said she had never consented to sexual intercourse and would never have done so.
Victim impact and sentencing
In her victim impact statement, the woman said she felt 'emotionally numb' after the attack. 'While I was not suicidal, I often felt that the idea of not waking up the next day was appealing. A conviction does not bring me closure. I will continue to live with the effects of what he has done,' she said.
Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Rimmer said the victim 'knew nothing of what had happened until you made clear that you had had sex with her the following morning.' He noted the offending took place at her home, which 'ought to have been her sanctuary.' Edwards, who was 24 at the time of the rape, showed no reaction as he was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and made subject to a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim or going to an address where she may be present. Before being taken away, he smiled at his family in the public gallery.
Investigation and previous trials
The victim reported the rape in October 2023, with the incident occurring on New Year's Day in January 2018. An investigation began, and Edwards was arrested in April 2024 and charged with rape the following March. He had been a police officer for over eight years before being suspended in 2022. He was found guilty on May 22 of one count of rape after a trial.
The court heard Edwards previously faced trial for raping two other women but was acquitted of raping one in a first trial and acquitted of raping the other following a retrial.
CPS statement
Timothy Greaves, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Rupert Edwards preyed on a woman and took advantage of her. Despite his claims that this was consensual, the evidence clearly showed that it was rape. We recognise that it can be difficult to report these offences and I want to thank the victim for coming forward. I hope today's sentence brings some comfort to all of the women affected by Edwards' conduct. It is because of their evidence that he has been brought to justice. Where the law allows us to place evidence before a jury that reveals a defendant's pattern of behaviour, we will pursue every opportunity to do so. That is exactly what we did here, and it was central to securing this conviction.'
