'Sadistic' Leigh Park rapist who took 'pleasure' in sexual torture is jailed for 25 years

Now dangerous Leigh Park rapist Bruno Sala has been jailed for 25 years with a five-year extended licence at Portsmouth Crown Court after inflicting ‘serious violence’ on the woman.

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The court heard how Sala, 36, of Middle Park Way, had previously had consensual sex with the victim before things cooled between them. But Sala then picked things up with the woman before his sinister intentions came to the fore when he turned up drunk outside her home. The woman let him in to sleep on the sofa after fearing Sala would wake the neighbours.

Once inside the flat, the predator ambushed the woman after ‘coming up behind her and cuddling’ before ‘trying to kiss her and pinning her arms down and pulling at her trousers to get them down’ prosecutor Rebecca Fairbairn said, before adding: ‘She was telling him to get off and stop but she wasn’t able to (stop him). At that point she knew what was going to happen so she gave up…the defendant raped her.’

Sala ‘apologised’ and said he ‘thought it was role play’. The woman was forced to have a pregnancy test following the rape. Despite the incident, Sala was able to ‘build trust’ back up with the female before they met up again – with Sala allowed to stay at her home during a ‘chilled’ few days.

But then Sala’s dark intentions reared their head when the couple were drinking and he ‘pressured’ her into taking cocaine. He asked her to dress up, suggested a friend join them for sex, and told her to line up sex toys on her bed and lie by them for a ‘perfect picture’.

The victim, who rejected the idea of having another man join them, thought they were going to have consensual sex when Sala put restraints on her wrists and ankles and blindfolded her. But Sala had other ideas as he began his sexual torture. ‘He started hitting her around the body… she could see he was using a dog lead to hit her,’ Ms Fairbairn said.

‘She was telling him to stop and he asked her what the safe word was, but they had never discussed a safe word. He carried on hitting her with a dog lead and smacked her across the face. She kept saying “no” and asked him to stop. She thought she was going to pass out with the pain. He hit her full force and told her to say, “Yes Sir”, and, “Yes boss”. He put a pillow over her face. She said the pain was unlike anything she had experienced before.’

Sala, who had also been using a whip, then continued his abuse, using a sex toy. The woman believed two other men then entered the room and raped her but judge Michael Bowes KC ‘disregarded that for the purpose of sentence’ after saying there were no criminal charges reflecting those allegations.

Towards the end of the ordeal, Sala then raped the woman. She was left in excruciating pain and bruised all over.

The complainant said she now feels ‘crippled with anxiety’ and has a ‘general dirty feeling’ after she was left ‘humiliated and degraded’. She added: ‘It destroyed me and turned my life upside down. I will never be the same again.’

Sala was found guilty of two counts of rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a trial. The court heard he had a previous conviction for domestic violence against a former girlfriend.

Judge Bowes said: ‘You subjected her to a prolonged sexual ordeal over at least a four-hour period that including rape. You deliberately targeted her…you identified her as someone vulnerable and you preyed on that. You took sadistic pleasure from the pain and humiliation you inflicted on her.’

The judge said the ordeal was designed to be ‘degrading and humiliating’ and said having a pillow put over her face must have been ‘absolutely terrifying’. He concluded the female had ‘suffered serious psychological harm’ following the episode that required a ‘significant degree of planning’. Meanwhile, a probation report said Sala had derived sexual gratification from the harm he caused her.

Sala was jailed for 25 years and given a five-year extended licence period.

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