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Teenager who raped unconscious girl wouldn't let friend do the same because it was 'technically rape'

Jamie Leppard claims sex with his unconscious victim was 'consensual' 

Caroline Mortimer
Wednesday 22 June 2016 20:00 BST
Jamie Leppard was convicted of two counts of rape at Maidstone Crown Court
Jamie Leppard was convicted of two counts of rape at Maidstone Crown Court (Google Maps)

A teenager who forced himself on a girl while she was sleeping refused to let his friend do the same because it was “technically rape”.

Jamie Leppard was found guilty at Maidstone Crown Court of raping the unconscious 17-year-old when she passed out at his parents’ home after a house party.

A friend of the victim had been filming the girl as she stumbled around the house because of how drunk she was and saw Leppard leading her upstairs, the court heard.

She left her in the bedroom for five minutes with Leppard before bursting in and saying "Oh s***" when she saw him attacking her unconscious friend.

The friend later told police the victim could barely stand as she was being led upstairs. Up until the point she entered the room she had thought the situation was "funny".

She then filmed the 19-year-old attacking the girl and two of his friends, Tommy Conway,18, and Harry Ludlow, 20, arriving and jumping on top of them.

Conway was heard saying he wanted “have a turn” as well and began to unbutton his trousers.

In the footage, shown to the jury during the trial, Leppard is heard refusing saying: "No way. She is asleep innit. ******* a girl that's asleep innit, that's technical rape".

The friend, who had gone downstairs during the attack, returned after becoming increasingly concerned and found the trio had left the victim faced down on the bed.

During the trial, prosecutor Nina Ellin said: "She was drunk.

"Her friend describes her as not really knowing what was happening or what she was doing. If she stood up, she fell down immediately."

Ms Ellin told the jury the victim’s friend had said it had taken around an hour for the girl to come to after the attack in Chatham, Kent in March last year when Leppard was 18.

The victim could not remember anything and only realised she had been raped after her friend showed her the video. Horrified, the girl contacted the police, Kent Online reports.

Describing the footage to the jury, Ms Ellin said: “The important thing to look at is when you see her face she is clearly unconscious or out of it, or passed out - or just asleep.

“Her head is back and she is not reacting, even with three men on top of her. You will hear laughter. She was lifeless. That must have been obvious to Jamie Leppard.”

Leppard denied two counts of rape after claiming the sex had been consensual.

He was convicted on the first count of rape at an earlier trial in March, but the jury could not decided on the second charge, Mail Online reports.

Ludlow admitted one count of sexual assault and Conway was convicted on two counts of sexual assault after pleading not guilty.

The trio will be sentenced next month.

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