A 47-year-old man who enticed a "vulnerable" teenage girl to his house, where he then sexually abused and attacked her, has been sentenced to four years in prison.
David Voyle refuted five charges brought against him. After a trial in October, he was found guilty on all counts by the jury.
On Friday, he returned to the Belfast Crown Court dock, where Judge Philip Gilpin handed down his sentence.
Originally from west Belfast, but residing on Townhill Road in Portglenone, the man who has four children was also subjected to an eight-year Sexual Offenses Prevention Order.
At the trial, the jury learned that on Wednesday, June 5 of the prior year, the PSNI received a statement from the victim’s parents claiming that their daughter was sexually assaulted the preceding Saturday.
She informed the authorities that on the Saturday of June 1st, she along with her trio of friends had spent an enjoyable day at the seaside.
The group had some drinks, and they returned to Belfast around 9 pm. After her friends caught buses to go home, the victim informed them that she had no funds and planned to walk back to her place.
As she strolled through Belfast, she came across Voyle on the street; he had been observing a soccer game at a downtown pub.
The disorientated teenager told Voyle she was lost and her phone wasn’t working and he told her she could come to his house and phone a taxi to take her home.
Voyle and the teenager proceeded to walk to his house in the Divis district of Belfast. Upon arrival, he suggested offering her something to drink, but she declined.
He took her to his room and commanded her to remove her clothing before committing sexual assault against her.
As she wept, pleaded for him to cease, and attempted to fend him off, Voyle instructed her to 'stop talking,' slapped her across the face, and proceeded to rape her. Throughout this ordeal, he also bit her ear.
Following the assault, Voyle instructed her to stand up and put her clothes back on.
They descended to the lower floor, and once Voyle stepped out of his house for a short time, she looked at her phone once more. Upon seeing that it was functioning correctly, she utilized it to snap a photo of Voyle’s image that he had attached to his refrigerator.
She exited his house promptly as a male passer-by escorted the teenager to a garage located on Falls Road, where a taxi driver was refueling their vehicle.
He handed the driver £2 to transport the teenager back home.
On June 4th, which was a Tuesday, she shared with her sister what had occurred. The next day, her parents were notified, and the police were alerted.
Two days later, Voyle was taken into custody and questioned.
He admitted that when he was returning home from the pub, he encountered the girl and offered to let her use his phone to call a cab.
Voyle subsequently made a false statement claiming that after kissing the girl, they had sexual intercourse with her consent. He alleged that afterward, he went to an ATM to withdraw money for a taxi fare but upon returning home, found that she was no longer there.
He upheld his position throughout the trial; however, it was dismissed by the jury, which ruled him guilty of rape, two instances of common assault, and two charges of sexual assault.
At Friday's hearing, it came to light that Voyle still maintains the sexual encounter was consensual and refuses to admit using any force.
Judge Gilpin stated that the young victim was "vulnerable" during the incident because of her age, being under the influence, and feeling "lost" and "isolated" when confronted by Voyle.
He said to Voyle, "You portrayed yourself as her savior...she placed her faith in you, but you violated that trust."
The defense arguments gathered by Gavan Duffy KC outline Voyle’s personal situation, encompassing his struggles with mental health and signs of PTSD linked to incidents from the Troubles era.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Nick Harris stated: "Voyle pretended to help a teenage girl by offering to call her a cab for her journey home but instead betrayed her trust in one of the most heartless ways possible."
She has shown great bravery in ensuring this investigation reaches a fruitful completion.
I am hopeful that her determination and resolve to hold this individual accountable for his actions will inspire others who have faced any kind of sexual assault to report their experiences to law enforcement.
