Why was this man free to rape me? Student, 21, reveals she feared for her life when convicted sexual predator stalked her for a mile on the 15-minute walk home after a night out
- Laura Prada, 21, from Rochdale, was raped on way home after night with friends
- Masked Callum Jamieson, 24, pushed her to ground and forced himself on her
- Laura feared she would die until someone heard her screams and came to help
- Callum had previously been convicted of sexual assault and GBH on a pensioner
- After being convicted of rape, he was sentenced to eight years in prison
A student has revealed she feared she would die when she was horrifically raped in the street by a stranger while walking home from a night out with friends.
Laura Prada, 21, from Rochdale, had been on a night out for a friend’s 21st birthday when she decided to walk the 15 minutes home from town to her student accommodation.
She was attacked by masked sex fiend Callum Jamieson, 24, who secretly stalked her for a mile when, moments from her student accommodation, he pushed her to the ground, dragged by the hair over a small wall, into bushes, and forced himself on her.
Fearing she would die, Laura screamed out and a stranger rushed to her aid, with Jamieson fleeing the scene.
He was later arrested after a DNA match and following his conviction for rape sentenced to 8 years, with 5 years on extended licence.
Laura was shocked to learn Callum was a serial offender who had previously been jailed for sexually and violently assaulting other women.
The 21-year-old, who says she feels ‘sickened’ by the memory of the attack, said his sentence is too lenient, telling FEMAIL: ‘In my opinion 8 years isn’t enough. He’s a serial offender and a danger to the public. If he’d received harsher punishments for his previous crimes he wouldn’t have been free to rape me.’
Laura, who has bravely waived her right to anonymity, spoke out as Sarah Everard’s disappearance ignited fury over the issues of female safety with hundreds of women openly discussing the fear they have felt when alone in public day or night.
Laura Prada, 21, from Rochdale, has revealed she feared she would die when she was horrifically raped in the street by a stranger while walking home from a night out with friends
Laura was in her 3rd year at university when she went into town with a group of pals to celebrate a friend’s 21st birthday.
She said: ‘We wanted to give him a night to remember and it had been a fun one. But by midnight I’d stopped drinking and by 2am I was sober and ready to call it a night.’
Slipping away quietly Laura left the rest to carry on but then she bumped into another friend and they ended up in McDonald’s.
Said Laura: ‘While we were there his mates text him about sharing their taxi home. I told him to go for it, since a cab by himself would be expensive.
Laura was attacked by masked sex fiend Callum Jamieson, 24, who secretly stalked her for a mile when, moments from her student accommodation, he pushed her to the ground, dragged by the hair over a small wall, into bushes, and forced himself on her
‘I lived in a different direction, so as we left I went to get one myself. But seeing the long queue I decided I’d walk the 15-minutes back to my student accommodation instead.
‘It was the beginning of December and freezing. Pulling up my denim jacket around my face I put my headphones in and concentrated on not slipping on the icy ground in my boots.
‘Although it was past 3am there were a lot of people still out.’
Callum Jamieson’s crimes
May 2015 – Callum was convicted of sexual assault and jailed for 9 months after he’d cycled up to a 21-year-old walking through a park, put his hand up her skirt and groped her
December 2015 – Jailed for 26 months after molesting 2 students in the city centre.
First grabbed a 23 year old woman’s bottom as she made her way home then days later molested an 18-year-old woman walking along by groping her bottom and putting his hand between her legs.
June 2019 – Callum was sentenced to 16 months in jail suspended for 18 months after admitting recklessly inflicting GBH when he pushed a woman in her 60s, who fell and suffered a bleed on the brain
December 2019 – Callum violently raped Laura in the street
January 2020 – Callum pleaded guilty to rape
February 2020 – He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court for 8 years, with 5 years on extended licence
But as Laura passed further out of Liverpool town centre it grew quieter. She turned onto another street and was just moments away from her accommodation when something made her glance over her shoulder and she noticed a hooded figure in dark clothing.
She said: ‘I assumed it was a student and when they barged into me I thought it was an accident.
‘But then I felt a hard yank on my shoulder and the realisation exploded in my brain.…I was being attacked.
‘As I screamed he shoved his fist into my mouth, then spun me around and I fell to the ground.
‘Looming over me he hissed,’ give me your money.’ His face was completely covered, except for a pair of eyes.
‘I was terrified, as I scrunched into a ball I held out my handbag, telling him to take it.’
‘I was completely at his mercy, I thought he could have a weapon.’
Blinking with fear Laura watched him grab her bag then throw it behind him.
Next, he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her along the ground. Pulling her over a low wall he pushed her into some bushes.
She said: ‘I was in a total state of shock. I could see my belongings scattered on the path and I thought this is what people will find when they start looking for me.’
She continued: ‘I feared I was going to die.’
Then to Laura’s horror he dropped his trousers and forced himself on her.
She recalled: ‘Retching and crying I felt utter revulsion. I kept thinking of my boyfriend, Ryan, who lived back home in Rochdale.’
At some point she heard the sound of pounding footsteps and in the darkness a man’s voice bellowing out, ‘what are you doing?’
She said: ‘My rapist stopped and looked up. He hastily pulled up his trousers and fled.
‘Trembling, my eyes focussed on the stranger. He was asking me if I was ok, said he’d heard my screams then he helped me to my feet and rang the police.’
Laura was shocked to learn Callum was a serial offender who had previously been jailed for sexually and violently assaulting other women
They arrived and a female officer took Laura up to her flat. She took mouth swabs and asked for a urine sample, along with the denim jacket, black jeans and boots Laura had been wearing for DNA testing.
Laura said: ‘I was shaking with shock. I had tried to call Ryan but it was so late he must have been asleep.
‘My mum had gone away for the weekend with friends, but I’d got through to Dad, telling him what had happened.
‘He was devastated and while the police officer was still there he turned up, and hugged me. He stayed with me that night.’
The next day Laura told Ryan and her mum what had happened. She also went for more swabs and blood tests at a sexual assault referral centre.
Laura explained: ‘I was exhausted and afterwards I was too scared to return to my student accommodation because my attacker was still out there.
After she was attacked, Laura, who was ‘shaking with shock’ was helped by a stranger who phoned the police
‘So I travelled back home to Mum and Dad’s, where Ryan and my bother and sister were waiting for me.’
The following day Laura had to make a video statement and give a description of her attacker but all she could tell them was that he’d been wearing a puffer jacket.
But days later the police called to tell her they’d arrested a man following a DNA match.
She said: ‘They told me his name was Callum Jamieson and he was 23. I’d never heard of him, he was a complete stranger.’
Laura was shocked to discover she hadn’t been his first victim.
The 21-year-old said she is still haunted by the attack and often has nightmares about the assault
A serial offender, Jamieson was previously convicted of sexual assault in May 2015, aged 18, and jailed for nine months.
When released from jail, he went on to molest 2 female students and was jailed for 26 months that December.
Then in May 2018, he was handed 16 months in jail suspended for 18 months after recklessly inflicting GBH when he pushed a woman in her 60s who fell, fracturing her skull and suffering a bleed on the brain.
In January 2020 Jamieson pleaded guilty to rape. The following month he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court.
Laura said she now wants to raise awareness about the dangers of walking home alone and feels it was a chance she ‘shouldn’t have taken’
Laura said: ‘I sat and listened as the court heard that when officers scoured CCTV, it showed him following me for around a mile, as he’d hid behind cars.
‘After the police launched their public appeal a probation service worker had come forward saying she was concerned it might be Jamieson.
Sarah Everard sparks fury over women’s safety
Earlier this week, mourners broke down in tears as they paid their respects to Sarah Everard, 33, a marketing manager who disappeared on her way home from visiting a friend on March 3.
Scotland Yard confirmed human remains found in Kent belonged to Ms Everard.
On Saturday, serving police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, was remanded in custody after appearing in Westminster Magistrates’ court charged with kidnap and murder.
The court heard Miss Everard’s body was found inside a builder’s bag and identified through the use of dental records.
Priti Patel has said that ‘every woman should feel safe to walk on our streets’ as dozens shared their harrowing personal stories with #saraheverard and #TooManyMen this month.
Ms Patel vowed that she would ‘do all [she] can to protect women and girls from violence and harassment’ and praised women for sharing their own experiences on social media.
‘The police searched his home and found the puffer jacket I’d remembered – my DNA was on it.’
Sentencing him to eight years in prison with an extended five years on licence, the judge said to him: “The victim has attended court today. Her self-evident bravery and decency stands in stark contrast to the behaviour of you.
You stalked her over a considerable distance and time before raping her.
He said the CCTV ‘graphically revealed the lengths you went to attack your victim” causing “significant psychological harm’.
Laura said: ‘I’m glad he’s now behind bars so he can’t do it to anyone else. But in my opinion he should be given longer.
‘I try not to think about it but I can’t help it. I still get I flashbacks.
‘In that terrifying moment when it was just him and me I thought I was going to die. I still get nightmares.’
She continued: ‘In my opinion 8 years isn’t enough. He’s a serial offender and a danger to the public.
‘If he’d received harsher punishments for his previous crimes he wouldn’t have been free to rape me.’
‘ It sickens me, I can’t understand it, going out to target someone like that – he’s clearly a danger.’
‘It affected my studies, work, boyfriend and family. I’m still always looking over my shoulder.
‘But I’ll not let him win. Thanks to amazing support from everyone including the police officers on my case I went on to finish my Film Studies degree, gaining a 2.1 and I refuse to let what happen define me.
‘I also want to raise awareness of the dangers of walking home alone.
‘I was sober and just 15 minutes away from where I lived. I thought I’d be ok. But it was a chance I shouldn’t have taken.
Laura, who has bravely waived her right to anonymity, spoke out as Sarah Everard’s disappearance ignited fury over the issues of female safety with hundreds of women openly discussing the fear they have felt when alone in public day or night
‘I know others do it all the time too, for the sake of money or convenience. But I’m urging people, both women and men -to think twice. From my experience it’s not worth it.’
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