Matthew Jowitt, 18, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of a vulnerable woman in Sheffield.

The attack took place on May 14th, 2023, in Woodseats, Sheffield. Jowitt, who lives in Cartmell Road, followed the woman as she walked through the area, noticing her vulnerability. He then forced his hands down her trousers and sexually assaulted her.

Jowitt continued to follow the woman, who has autism and learning difficulties, as she tried to walk away. He eventually pushed her down a bank and dragged her into some woods, where he raped her twice.

CCTV footage obtained from the area showed Jowitt following and sexually assaulting the woman, but there was no footage of the area where he raped her. Jowitt's DNA was also found on the woman's underwear.

Jowitt was arrested at his workplace, Morrisons, two days later. He responded to the arrest by saying "I don't f****** need this, I'm on a final warning."

In a powerful victim impact statement, the woman said the attack had affected "every aspect" of her life. She said she had spent many days in bed, unable to get up or do anything. "And now, months later, I'm tearful most days, and my mum has to force me to get up, have a shower, and accompany me out of the house," she said. She added that she is now afraid to be outside on her own, even in her own garden.

Jowitt pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration. He was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court by Judge Rachael Harrison.

In sentencing Jowitt, Judge Harrison said, "You admit that you noticed your victim and thought she was vulnerable. Thinking that, you specifically targeted her. You have shown inappropriate sexual behaviour towards others since the age of five. Despite the work that was done with you with the referral order, you threw away that opportunity to address your problems."

Jowitt had previously been sentenced to a 12-month referral order for an incident in October 2022, where he attacked a lone woman while exposing himself. He was 17 years old at the time of that conviction.

Judge Harrison also imposed an extended license period of four years due to the "significant risk of danger" Jowitt poses to members of the public. This means Jowitt must serve two-thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for release.