Man jailed for raping woman on first date after meeting on Plenty of Fish

Stephen Hastie met a woman via the Plenty of Fish dating site and after the pair spoke for a month they arranged to meet up in person.

In the early hours of December 24, 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 after a trial.

The 35-year-old was sentenced that same day to 10 years in prison with a four-year extended licence period. Hastie is also on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In a victim impact statement, the woman he attacked 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 were lifted, Hastie repeatedly refused to be interviewed.

Detective Constable Graham Barrett, who led the investigation for Derbyshire Constabulary, 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.”

If you or someone you know has been the victim of rape, sexual assault or another sexual offence please reach out for help and support.