Rye scuba diving boss Lloyd Borrett avoids jail after pleading guilty to rape
A Rye scuba diving boss raped a woman while on a date without wearing a condom after he thought his victim was being “playful”.
South East
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A Rye scuba diving boss who raped a woman during a date had avoided a jail term.
Lloyd Borrett, 65, was sentenced in the County Court on Tuesday to a two-year community correction order after pleading guilty to rape.
Borrett had a date with his victim after meeting the woman via a dating app in late-2016
The woman, who had been drinking, initially consented to sex but soon told Borrett to stop after she realised her assailant was not wearing a condom.
The victim pleaded “loudly” with Borrett to stop at “least three times” but he continued, the court heard.
The woman, who was “very upset” and crying, hit Borrett and attempted to push him off but Borrett continued until he ejaculated, the court was told.
The victim, who was still crying, asked Borrett several times why he didn’t stop when she asked him to.
Borrett didn’t answer his victim then ignored her when she asked him to leave, the court was told.
Borrett, who had told the woman he “loved her”, also cried, fearing he had “ruined everything between them”.
The woman pushed the incident “out of her mind” after Borrett was “very loving and adoring” the next morning.
The victim later insisted Borrett get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
Borrett later sent his victim an email.
“At first I misread your requests to stop as playful, but once I realised you
were serious I stopped. I got it wrong. It’s not a situation I’ve ever had happen
before and I totally misread it. I thought you’d accepted this when I apologized
straight away. I was crying because I fully understood how badly you must
have felt and was so upset because of it,” Borrett said via email.
The victim reported Borrett to police in September 2017.
Investigators set up a pretext call between Borrett and the victim.
“But all I can say is at first I thought you were playing,” Borrett said during the call.
“Then when I didn’t, instead of stopping, and that’s the crazy thing, instead of stopping which is what I should have done I started asking myself all sorts of questions and stuff.”
The victim told Borrett he “should’ve listened to the woman beneath him” and he did the “wrong thing”.
Police later arrested and charged Borrett.
The court heard Borrett was an IT expert who had previously worked for BHP.
Borrett is also a keen hobbyist who enjoys gliding sailing and scuba diving and currently runs Rye-based scuba diving business The Scuba Doctor, the court was told.
Judge David Brookes convicted Borrett and ordered he perform community work and undertake treatment.
