Man Attacks Rapist to Stop Attack

A man rescued a woman as she was being raped in October 2020. That man, 23-year-old Steven Lequesne attacked the woman as she walked to the train station after enjoying a night out at a local pub in Southport, Merseyside. CCTV captured the attack. It shows Lequesne attack the woman who begins attempting to fight him off. She attempts to run, but Lequesne gives chase and attacks her again. The attack occurred near Napthens Solicitors.

Man Hears Attack

Twice the woman escaped from the man before he tossed her into the bushes at a local car park. He subsequently begins to rape the woman when Christopher Fletcher heard a woman screaming for help and repeating the word “no.”

Fletcher rushed to the sounds and to her aid, ultimately ending the rape and attack, but not before serious damage was done. To subdue Lequesne, Fletcher grabbed him by the throat, putting him in a chokehold. He then punched the man and took him to the ground where he held him until police arrived.

Lequesne had formerly lived in Tuebrook but was homeless at the time of the attack.

The victim was intoxicated as she had spent the evening drinking at the Metropole Hotel. She spent some time with Lequesne at the bar before heading to the Southport train station about 1 a.m.

Recorder Matthew Corbett-Jones said: "It was only when a brave member of the public came to her rescue that her ordeal came to an end.

"Christopher Fletcher showed all the qualities of a brave, decent, upstanding member of the community in tackling you and summoning the police.

"Your actions that night show to me you are the opportunistic and highly predatory individual that you clearly are."

Lequesne Arrested

Police arrested Lequesne who denied rape. DNA linked him to samples taken from the victim. That woman has been left traumatized by the attack and now fears going outside. She has not returned to work since the incident and is “constantly looking over her shoulder.”

Lequesne has a prior record showing 21 offenses, 15 of which were convictions. Those offenses include a harassment charge in 2018 and two offenses of outraging public decency in 2020.

Conviction & Sentencing

Although Lequesne’s defense team argued that mental illness played a part in his actions, citing at least two prior suicide attempts, the court recorder told the defendant that he had a “very high likelihood of reoffending and added, “There is no evidence your mental health played any part in this offending and you clearly knew what you were doing.”

Finding him a “danger” to society, Recorder Corbett-Jones found him guilty of rape and sentenced him to 10 ½ years behind bars. He also has an extended four and one-half years on license, meaning he must serve ⅔ of the sentence - or seven years -before he becomes eligible for parole.

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