November 2021

Robert Matthews and Daniel Holroyd jailed for raping teenage girl

Two men who carried out a “degrading and humiliating” gang rape of a teenage girl have been jailed for a total of 29 years.

Robert Harold Matthews, 36, ignored the teenagers cries as she screamed for help and kept telling him “no”, York Crown Court heard.

Daniel John Holroyd, 32, had never met her before but took a full part in the rape at Matthews’ flat in which the men kept changing places.

York Crown Court heard the girl suffered ongoing internal injuries, but was too terrified to go to a doctor to learn what they were.

“It wasn’t so much about your own pleasure,” the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris told the two rapists.

“You were humiliating her and degrading her and taking turn and turn about.

“It was a deeply unpleasant and extreme form of rape.”

Both men had been high on cocaine, he said.

In a personal statement, the girl said of Matthews: “One of the worst things is feeling I was really taken advantage of.

“I feel like this has ruined my life. I feel like I cannot trust people now.

“I am scared now of new relationships.

“I don’t want to give people a chance.

“I am scared this will happen again.”

She said she had suffered daily flashbacks of what had happened to her.

She also had regular nightmares as a result of the rape, including visions of seeing Matthews breaking into her home, that made it difficult for her to sleep.

She is now suffering from depression and anxiety and terrified of being on her own.

Matthews, of Meadow View, Sherburn-in-Elmet, and Holroyd, of Ebor Court, Selby, both denied two rapes each.

A jury convicted them unanimously on all counts after eight hours in retirement.

Matthews held his face in his hand as he was jailed for 15 years.

Holroyd had tears in his eyes as he was led down from the court dock to start his 14-year sentence.

Both men will be on the sex offenders’ register for life and subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely. They will not be released until they have served at least two-thirds of their sentence.