Student convicted of rape
UNIVERSITY OF York student Clive Richard Manyou was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting another student as she slept, and sentenced to six years in prison at a trial in York Crown Court last week.
Manyou, 36, of Heslington, raped and sexually assaulted a 19 year-old female student after “manipulating” his way into her room in the early hours of 8 June 2006. Manyou was studying English and Related Literature at York, and was well known as lead singer of the successful campus band Mitus.
Recorder Gary Burrell QC said when delivering the sentence, “You have been convicted of the serious offences of rape and sexual assault. By its verdict the jury has seen through your rather unconvincing performance in the witness box.” Burrell QC went on to sentence Manyou to six years in prison as well as placing him on the sex offenders register for life. However, Manyou will only serve three years before being released on licence.
During the course of the four-day trial, the jury heard how Manyou had “manipulated” his way into the female student’s room after a night out at York nightclub Ziggy’s, waiting untill she was asleep before sexually assaulting and then raping her.
Manyou prayed while he was led away by a court official
In the witness box, the female student said “he made it seem as if it was the strangest thing in the world for me to want to sleep alone.” She told how she had awoken to find Manyou touching her sexually, saying “I pushed him off me and fell asleep, which is something I obviously later regretted”. She woke again later to find him raping her. At this point she cried out “what the f**k are you doing?” The court also heard medical evidence that the victim was still suffering from considerable pain and tenderness eight hours after the attack.
Manyou, who is married with a child, pleaded not guilty to all charges, claiming in the witness box “I am standing trial for something I did not do.” The jury rejected Manyou’s claims that the victim had sexually assaulted him when he passed out drunk in her room and that she and her friend were part of a conspiracy against him.
Judge Burrell QC said, “you blatantly tried to lie your way out of the situation, making up the wholly unfounded allegations against the 19 year-old student”. He added “your assault was so serious and brutal to cause pain some hours later. As a result, a young girl’s university career has been ruined and she felt unable to return to her studies”.
Following Manyou’s conviction the victim, who had told Nouse during the trial that she did not feel she could “live so close to Clive Manyou” said she was carefully considering returning to York next year to resume her studies. Speaking after the verdict, she said, “I am so relieved this is all finally over – it’s been a very long and hard struggle, and at times I felt that I myself was on trial but ultimately I know I did the right thing.”
The jury heard that Manyou was fined in 1983 for indecently assaulting a woman aged 16 or over and in 1984 for handling stolen goods. These convictions however were spent and not taken into account by the jury or the judge. Also the convictions did not have to be disclosed to the University when Manyou started his studies.
Manyou was in his first year at the University when he was arrested on the 9 June before being formally charged on 28 July. In the intervening time Manyou played with his band Mitus at a Planet V event and Woodstock 2006. However Manyou was not suspended from the University until the 7 August, ten days after being charged by the police.
A University spokesman said, “It is a matter of great regret that a member of the University should have been convicted of a criminal offence. Clive Manyou will now be dealt with according to the University’s disciplinary procedures.”
Rich Croker YUSU President said of Manyou playing YUSU events after the incident “YUSU were unaware of the situation at the time. It is not our duty to find out when a member of the Union is arrested – neither do they have a duty to inform us” adding “It is not University practice to inform us when a student has been suspended and/or excluded as a precautionary measure. They of course are still not convicted on any crime”. Croker however refused to comment on whether Manyou should be expelled from the University stating it was not his role to do so.
The English Literature and Related Literature department where Manyou studied refused to comment however a student that sat in seminars with him said “I’m genuinely really shocked, its really complicating because I would have counted him as a friend and now he’s done this horrible thing”.
The female student who is now considering return to the University said, “I would like to urge any victims of rape or sexual assault to be strong and always come forward and report to the police- doing this is the only way we will come closer to stopping rape all together.”
- Courtroom Sketch
- Student Shock
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