A 29-year-old groom was arrested and jailed for seven years after he was convicted for raping a guest in his house as his bride slept next door.
The guest was surprisingly his wife’s chief bridesmaid and best friend and the experience still haunts her which made her speak up.
Daniel Howard, who was serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps denied the rape initially, claiming that she used his sex toy which was why there was forensic evidence but his claims were dismissed by the jury at Teesside crown court UK, and convicted him within 90 minutes with overwhelming evidence.
Howard got married to April Broadgate at a lavish ceremony in August 2015.
Mirror UK reports that the friendship between Broadgate and her chief bridesmaid crashed after the crime was revealed.
Just three weeks before his trial, the new wife, who reportedly refused to believe her husband had carried out the assault, went ahead with her wedding.
The victim whose identity was withheld said: “I couldn’t go anywhere alone. My mum had to be in the bathroom with me when she came around and washed my hair for me as I was too exhausted to do it myself.
“I still have anxiety attacks where I’ll break down in tears and ring a friend crying for no reason whatsoever. This will always be part of my life that I have to learn to deal with.
“I don’t think I will ever fully recover. I’ve been on sleeping pills prescribed by the doctor for a number of months. I constantly think about what happened and often have flashbacks to that night.
“It sounds silly but I’m frightened someone will come and get me again, and no-one will know. I had a good job, a strong relationship, a bright future, a plan for a house. I just feel damaged and broken.”
