Pals rush to help ‘vulnerable’ woman as homeless rapist lures her to canal | UK | News
Friends of a “vulnerable” woman rushed to help when she said she was left alone with a man she didn’t know. The 18-year-old’s friends called police after receiving a series of “worrying” messages from him. on Snapchat.
Police officers used location data from his phone to locate him near Canal Street in Nottingham, where he was found in a “distressed state”. Nottinghamshire Police. A man was spotted a short distance away and arrested.
Joseph Healey, 44, took the young woman to a path in the canal and raped her on June 20 last year. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on Friday, June 19.
Det Cons Melissa Starmer, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Healey is a dangerous and opportunistic criminal who subjected a vulnerable young woman to a truly heartbreaking ordeal.”
Healey had been released from prison on license the day before the rape, as he had previous convictions for burglary and robbery.
CCTV showed him taking the woman to a secluded spot behind the Nottingham One apartment block next to the canal.
Vile Healey was homeless at the time and was sleeping by the canal. He claimed the sex was consensual.
However, on the first day of his trial on December 8, 2025, he changed his story and pleaded guilty to one count of rape.
According to police, Healey admitted giving the woman two tablets to treat anxiety, although he admitted he had no sexual intent. He was sentenced to 12 years and one month in prison at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, June 19.
Judge Mark Watson described Healey as a dangerous offender who must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for parole. It will then be subject to an extended period for licensing.
Det Cons Starmer said: “Thanks to the third party report we received we were able to get officers to the scene very quickly and arrest this man before he had the opportunity to escape.
“He has remained in custody ever since and will now spend an extended period behind bars where he will not pose a risk to women in Nottinghamshire.”
