Woman’s dramatic escape from meth-addict rapist James Peter Walker revealed

An Ipswich man pleaded guilty to a horrifying meth-fuelled assault where he raped a woman and held her captive in his bus.

A man has faced court after raping and holding a woman captive in a horrifying meth-fuelled assault.

James Peter Walker, 39, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court via video link on Wednesday (June 22) after allegedly assaulting and raping a woman while they were both high on meth.

He pleaded to one count each of rape, assault occasioning bodily harm and deprivation of liberty.

The court heard that on January 11, 2019, Walker was drinking at a friend’s house in Lowood with a woman who had earlier smoked a small amount of methylamphetamine.

The two left together to go to Walker’s home, which the court heard was a bus, where he offered her more meth.

She accepted and Walker injected the woman in her right arm.

They then both used Walker’s phone before he put it on charge but forgot he had done so.

He became agitated, removing his shirt and jeans and also yelling at the woman, asking where his phone was, the court was told.

The woman said she did not know and invited him to search her.

Walker took off her shirt, pulled at her bra until it broke and removed her skirt and underwear.

He then slapped the woman on her back and she fell onto the couch.

She stood up but Walker punched her in the head and she fell on to the floor, the court was told.

Walker told her: “If you don’t find my phone I will kill you and your kids.”

He also said “maybe it is up your c**t” before grabbing her by the neck and pushing her on to the bed.

The court heard Walked raped her, but without penetration, while she told him to stop.

He took her bag and keys, left the bus and locked the door, repeating that she couldn’t leave until she found his phone.

The woman was locked inside for about an hour and a half.

During that time, Walker entered and hit the woman several times.

He showed her a photo of a woman with black-eyes, threatened the same fate for her and forced her to make his bed and tidy the floor.

Eventually, the woman was able to get dressed, and Walker let her go outside to look for his phone. He pushed her towards the bus door and she fell down, breaking her shoe.

The woman took the opportunity to escape, running towards a nearby house where no one answered the front door. She tried several houses and had to hide in bushes from Walker at one point before eventually finding a house that answered the door and helped her contact police.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said the woman had submitted a victim impact statement describing the significant psychological impact the events had on her.

She was fearful, had panic attacks and had become more isolated.

Walker’s lawyer submitted that the woman had had sexual intercourse previously with his client, which the prosecution did not accept.

Judge Horneman-Wren said “I’m prepared to accept that it is the case – although I’m not sure that under the circumstances it makes much of a difference.”

The court heard Walker had previously been convicted of assault occasioning bodily harm, wilful damage, dangerous operation of a vehicle and a number of drug offences but had not used drugs since being released on bail in May, 2019.

In 2017, Walker was severely beaten with an iron bar and suffered a head injury which permanently changed his personality and also resulted in memory loss.

The court heard he had had a difficult upbringing and his brother died in 2017.

He had a good work history as a builder, had two children and is now in a stable relationship.

Judge Horneman-Wren declared 72 of the days Walker spent in custody before being released on bail as time served.

“I’m not satisfied that that is a sufficient recognition of the seriousness of your conduct, taking into account all of the circumstances,” he said.

“I do, however, give you credit for your pleas of guilty to these offences – although entered on the morning of the trial.”

He said that had saved his victim from the ordeal of testifying.

He sentenced Walker to 12 months’ prison for the assault occasioning bodily harm, two years for the sexual assault and six months for the deprivation of liberty charge.

The sentences were concurrent and suspended after four months, for three years.