Illegal immigrant prowled around Corby Old Village on the hunt for vulnerable women before horrific rape

A judge said Obi Forgive, 28, was a sexual predator who deliberately set out to find women who were too drunk to consent on New Year’s Eve.

In the early hours of January 1 this year he found one such victim, a 19-year-old in The Village Inn in Lloyd’s Road, and supported her as he led her to a secluded spot in Chapel Lane then subjected her to a 51-minute rape.

He was only caught because, after a police appeal, a bouncer in the Old Village recognised him while he was out on a subsequent evening looking for more victims.

The court was told how the victim has suffered from depression, anxiety and panic attacks since the incident.

Forgive said he could not offer any remorse because he did not accept the guilty verdict.

Nigerian national Forgive, of Methuen Road, Belvedere, was not supposed to be in the UK as he had overstayed his visa.

Northampton Crown Court heard how he had searched the internet for pornography featuring men raping incapacitated and unconscious women on the evening of New Year’s Eve.

Recorder David Herbert QC said that Forgive had gone out looking for an ‘extremely drunk’ victim.

“The victim would have been unable to resist you and what you were doing to her,” he said.

Forgive was not seen on CCTV for 51 minutes during the incident and left his victim lying where he had raped her. It was 90 minutes before she was able to struggle to the house of a friend, with her clothing around her ankles

Recorder Herbert went on: “She was in a terrible state. Dishevelled and muddy.”

Forgive returned to the place he was staying to change his clothes to ‘conceal the link’ between him and the victim before returning to Corby to look for more victims.

Recorder Herbert added: “It was a sustained attack on a vulnerable victim.

”There was a significant degree of planning on your part.

“Your offending is aggravated by the way you targeted a vulnerable young woman overcome by drink.

”You did your best to conceal any evidence of what you’d done.”

His victim was forced to bravely give evidence during the trial as Forgive had pleaded not guilty to the rape.

In a moving victim impact statement, the court heard how the victim had suffered from painful internal injuries following the incident.

”They serve as a constant reminder of what happened,” she said.

She has suffered from

panic attacks in the street and says she no longer enjoys working or socialising and her university work has suffered. She may have to retake her exams this year.

”On bad days I feel almost sub-human,” she said.

”I don’t feel like myself anymore.”

She said her mum had lost a baby following the incident and that she felt responsible for that.

”It’s crushing to know that happened to me caused my little brother or sister to die.”

The court was told how Forgive had no previous convictions and had overstayed his visa because he believed he was needed here by his girlfriend and their child.

Recorder Herbert added: “The evidence in this case has driven me to conclude that you pose a significant risk of psychological or physical harm to women by committing serious sexual offences in the future.

”You’re a sexual predator with a particular interest in taking advantage of vulnerable, drunk, unconscious women.”

Forgive was given a jail term of 11 years with five subsequent years to be served on licence, a total of 16 years. He will have to serve two-thirds of the 11-year prison sentence in jail before a parole board decides whether he is fit to be released. On release, he will be deported.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

The victim was in court to hear the verdict and no custody picture has been issued by the police at the victim’s request.