Bathroom salesman, 31, who claimed he had sex with a woman after he drunkenly TRIPPED and fell into her bed after a night out is convicted of rape
- Shane Baldwin went back to a house in Kent with his victim after night out
- They went to sleep in separate rooms but she woke to find him raping her
- He spun a number of lies to police, claiming he accidentally fell into the bed
- But he was convicted by a jury today and locked up until he can be sentenced
Shane Baldwin raped a woman as she slept after going back to her house after a night out
A bathroom salesman has been convicted of raping a sleeping woman after he tried to claim he tripped over her bed and fell on top of her following a night out.
Shane Baldwin, 31, had gone back to a house with the woman after a night drinking in Rochester, Kent in 2017.
The woman went to sleep with pyjamas on while Baldwin was supposed to sleep in another room, Maidstone Crown Court has heard.
However, she woke shortly after 5am to find Baldwin raping her and telling her to be quiet.
She fled the property to a friend’s house and called police, who arrested Baldwin.
But he tried to avoid punishment for his crimes by spinning a pack of lies.
He initially said he had fallen on top of the woman as he made his way through the house after going the bathroom. He insisted he apologised and then left.
He also claimed a damning DNA sample may have been transferred between pyjama bottoms.
But when told that was scientifically impossible, he then admitted having sex with the woman, but this time claimed it was consensual and had been instigated by the victim.
Today, a jury rejected his claims after deliberating for just over two hours. He was remanded in custody until he is sentenced on October 11.
Baldwin kept changing his story as he tried to avoid justice, but was convicted by a jury today
Judge Adele Williams told Baldwin, who is a former bathroom showroom manager, he had been convicted on ‘clear and compelling’ evidence.
She said: ‘The victim’s personal statement makes plain the deeply traumatic effect that this has had upon her.’
Describing the horrific moment she woke to find Baldwin on top of her, the victim told the court: ‘I was confused because I’d been in a deep sleep… he was having sex with me. I had no pyjama bottoms or underwear on.
‘It was like he was trying not to wake me… he then went back to his room. I went to the toilet and was sick.’
In his bid to get off the charge, Baldwin had told the court he had been drinking double measures of rum and vodka on the evening of the attack, and he and the victim had ended up ‘flirtatiously dancing and grinding’ in a nightclub.
He claimed they had sex after he stumbled over the edge of her bed in the dark, and landed with his head on her chest.
Baldwin, who until today was living with his parents, later claimed he twice told police he didn’t have sex with the victim because he feared losing his girlfriend.
A judge at Maidstone Crown Court (pictured) remanded Baldwin in custody today