Beggar tried to grab some coins outside a pub in Middlesbrough and helped a woman get into the hotel before raping her

A homeless man who was hanging around outside a pub in Middlesbrough, “trying to take a few coins” from people leaving the establishment, accompanied a woman back to her hotel room before raping her.

Leon Germaine Worsfold helped his victim when she fell after a night out at a bar on Baker Street in March 2022. The woman was visiting the area and had booked a hotel room nearby.

The 47-year-old has always denied raping the woman and during his trial, Teesside Crown Court heard the victim suspected her drink had been drugged that night. Worsfold did not go into the pub but told the jury he had been begging for money at closing time.

A security camera caught the woman falling and Worsfold helping her up. The victim had no memory of returning to her hotel room, but when she woke up the next morning, she had flashbacks of Worfold on her and went to the police.

Hours after the attack, Worsfold was caught trying to withdraw money from an ATM using her bank card. The transaction failed because Worsfold entered his victim’s PIN number in the wrong order.

He returned to the hotel room to get a second bank card from his victim. This transaction also failed, but this time he did not return to the hotel. During his trial, Worsfold claimed that the woman gave him her bank card to get money because she wanted to buy some food.

Worsfold, of no fixed abode, was convicted by a jury earlier this month of rape and sexual assault because his victim was incapable of consent. At the time, he was under a court order following convictions for three counts of shoplifting.

A statement from the survivor was read to the court on Friday. She said she could not talk to her family about what happened and remained afraid of meeting her attacker.

She said this could happen because she doesn’t remember what he looks like. “What happened will affect me for the rest of my life,” she said. “I’m extremely tired of men now.”

“Not one iota of regret”

Rob Mochrie, mitigating, told the court: “She was drunk and was caught walking in the street smoking a cigarette.” He added: “She has no memory of what happened.”

“It is by no means a foregone conclusion that he stole the cards. There must have been some verbal interaction between them because he knew the PIN number. He entered the digits in the wrong order.” Mr Mochrie said his client was homeless and had a long-term drug addiction.

Judge Andrew Dallas told Worsfold: “You have been convicted of raping a woman when she was drunk or under the influence of drugs – it is impossible to know. She was incapable of giving consent.”

“It is clear that you targeted her on the street. I have seen video footage from the hotel entrance and it is clear that she needed your assistance at times to make this journey.

“At some point she gave you her PIN number because she remembered the digits later when she was questioned by the police but you had the numbers in the wrong order. I strongly reject the idea that she asked you to get money to buy her something to eat.

“You raped her when she couldn’t defend herself. Then you thought about how you could get money.

“You have shown no remorse whatsoever and continue to insist that she consented. The jury rejected that and so do I. You know full well that she was in such a poor state that she could not consent to any form of sexual activity, least of all with you.”

Worsfold was sentenced to nine years in prison. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life. A restraining order was made against him, prohibiting him from having any contact with his victim.

After the verdict, Detective Inspector Matt Hollingsworth of Cleveland Police said: “Leon Worsfold attacked a defenceless woman. He assaulted her and raped her. In court he continued to deny the incident, which meant the victim had to relive the ordeal and give evidence.”

“I would like to thank the woman for her courage and unwavering strength throughout the investigation and subsequent court proceedings. Anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it occurred, is urged to report it to the police. We will not tolerate violence of this nature and will continue to bring perpetrators to justice.”