In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Carl Hartley, then 37, of Summerfield Green, Rodley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, was handed a life sentence at Leeds Crown Court. Carl Hartley was designated as a dangerous offender who was unable to control his vile sexual urges, targeting vulnerable women late at night. The court heard how Hartley continued to commit horrific offences even after being released on bail for prior rapes. The investigation involved “harrowing” CCTV footage that showed the calculated and violent nature of his predatory attacks across both Leeds and Wakefield.
The first horrendous incident reported took place on February 6, 2014, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Carl Hartley targeted a woman who was walking alone on Stanley Road after a row with her partner. Hartley launched a violent assault, knocking the victim to the ground, where she hit her head. He then removed her clothing and carried out a sickening rape, pinning her down and covering her mouth to stifle her screams. He only fled when interrupted by a local landlord. Despite DNA evidence found on the victim’s clothing, Hartley initially attempted to claim the encounter was consensual.
On May 17, 2014, Carl Hartley committed a second vile rape in an alleyway behind Wakefield Prison. He had stalked the 20-year-old victim from a nightclub, gaining her trust before turning violent. CCTV footage captured the disturbing moment he ignored her resistance, pulled her hair, and shouted vile insults at her during the attack. In a third horrific case on July 1, 2017, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Hartley used the guise of gardening work to enter a woman’s home. He sexually assaulted her and exposed himself while her three-year-old daughter was present in the room, showing a depraved lack of concern for the child’s presence.
Judge Guy Kearl QC sentenced Carl Hartley to life imprisonment with a minimum term of nine years before he can even be considered for parole. The judge emphasised that Hartley posed a significant and ongoing risk to women. As a result of these violent and serious crimes, Carl Hartley is on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by West Yorkshire Police, remaining under intensive supervision for the duration of his life. Any future release will be strictly monitored, and any breach of his conditions in Leeds, Wakefield, or elsewhere will result in immediate recall to prison.
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