Friday, March 15, 2024
This is 39-year-old Stephen Smith and he is dangerous.
Today he has been given a 26-year sentence at Preston Crown Court for a number of violent offences, including raping a woman and kidnapping a child.
In February 2023 Smith (pictured below) barged his way into a woman’s hotel room in Morecambe and then raped and assaulted her. Smith strangled his victim with such force that at one stage she thought she was going to pass out.
In June 2023 we were called to reports a young child had been kidnapped in Lancaster. The child’s mother clung onto Smith’s Toyota Yaris, begging him to stop. All while being dragged down the road.
She was unable to cling on and fell into the road as the Yaris was being driven down Mainway in Lancaster.
Smith then stopped the car and reversed over the child’s mother as she lay in the road. She suffered five fractured vertebrae and other injuries.
As Smith drove back towards his home in Blackpool he told the child “that’s the last time you’ll see your mum.”
We stopped Smith’s car before he got back to Blackpool and rescued the child. Smith was arrested, charged with several violence offences, kidnap, and motoring offences, and remanded into custody.
Despite knowing what he had done, Smith forced his victims – including the young child – to give evidence by electing to run a trial.
Smith, formerly from Blackpool but now of no fixed address, was unanimously found guilty of all offences.
He was today given a sentence comprising of 21 years immediate custody and a further 5 years on extended licence.
If you have been the victim of a crime report it online via https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/ or call 101. In an emergency or if a crime is in progress always call 999.