Adam Depra

A 30-year-old man from Letchworth has been sentenced to nine years in prison for two counts of attempted rape committed in Stevenage in July 2021. Adam Depra, who had no fixed address at the time of the offences, was found guilty by a jury at St Albans Crown Court in January 2022 and received his sentence on 3 May 2022.

The court heard that Depra was known to the victim, having given her a lift home earlier in the day. Later, he contacted her asking for advice and repeatedly sought permission to visit her address despite her initial refusal. The victim reluctantly agreed, and the pair consumed alcohol together. As the evening progressed, the victim began to feel dizzy and unwell, eventually vomiting and suffering a medical episode. When she asked Depra to leave so she could rest, he refused and instead manhandled her onto the bed.

During this incident, Depra removed the victim's clothes and made attempts to rape her, ignoring her repeated pleas to stop. He only ceased when he fell asleep, allowing the victim to escape to a friend's house. She was subsequently admitted to hospital for an unrelated illness, and the assault was reported to police on 21 July 2021. Depra was arrested and charged shortly thereafter.

Investigator Laura Harrison from the Sexual Offences Investigation Team (SOIT) of Hertfordshire Constabulary commented on the case: "Throughout the trial Depra denied attempting to rape the victim and showed no remorse. I would like to praise the victim for the bravery and strength she has shown throughout the investigation and subsequent trial." Harrison further noted that the victim had trusted Depra initially, believing he was assisting her when she became unwell, but his actions revealed an ulterior motive as he exploited her vulnerability in a despicable manner.

In addition to the nine-year sentence for the attempted rapes, Depra was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and faces deportation upon completion of his term. On the same day, 3 May 2022, he pleaded guilty to an unrelated actual bodily harm (ABH) assault that occurred in Stevenage in September 2020, receiving an additional six-month custodial sentence to run consecutively, resulting in a total of nine years and six months imprisonment.

The case was prosecuted at St Albans Crown Court, with the offences investigated by Hertfordshire Constabulary. This incident underscores the importance of reporting sexual assaults, as highlighted by the investigating team, though no further details on support services were elaborated in court proceedings.