Inderjit Singh Bains

A man has been jailed for a brutal sexual assault committed over two decades ago in Bristol. Inderjit Singh Bains, 46, from Heneage Lane, Falfield, Gloucestershire, was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of rape and actual bodily harm at Bristol Crown Court.

The attack occurred on 10 January 2002, around 1:00 am, when Bains picked up the victim, who was working as a prostitute in St Werburgh's, Bristol, in his van. He drove her to a secluded area off Stoke Lane near Frenchay, where he launched a 'cruel, callous, and violent' assault. Bains repeatedly punched the woman in the face and body, causing her to lose and swallow a tooth. He then raped her without using a condom. After the assault, he ordered her to get dressed and drove her back to the city centre.

The victim, now in her 50s, reported the incident to the police in January 2022, more than 20 years later. Her courage in coming forward was pivotal, as she had memorised Bains' vehicle number plate at the time of the attack, which aided in his identification and arrest. Shortly after the incident in 2002, she had also reported details to the One25 Project, a support organisation for women in the street sex trade, providing a description of the offender and the number plate. This report became key evidence in the case.

• The jury unanimously convicted Bains of rape and actual bodily harm.
• Judge James Patrick described the offence as involving 'a degree of abduction' and noted it was 'prolonged and persistent', with a 'long-standing emotional effect' on the victim.

In an impact statement read to the court, the victim detailed the lasting trauma: 'The immediate impact of this crime on me was so traumatic that I used heroin to suppress any emotional impact... The flashbacks, panic attacks and nightmares I have continue to this day. I truly thought I was going to die that night.' She highlighted the stigma faced by women in her situation and praised the investigating officer for their empathetic approach, which encouraged her to proceed despite the retraumatising process of the trial.

Investigating officer PC Chris Quick, from Operation Bluestone, commended the victim's strength: 'Bains carried out a cruel, callous, and violent attack on a vulnerable victim, leaving her with horrible injuries and a lifetime of trauma... I’m so pleased she had enough faith in the police to believe she’d be listened to.' The case underscores the importance of historical reporting in sexual violence investigations, with Avon and Somerset Police handling the matter through their specialist operations.