Dangerous rapist jailed after canal side attack

A dangerous rapist has been jailed after luring a vulnerable woman to a secluded area and assaulting her.

Joseph Healey raped his vulnerable 18-year-old victim after leading her to a footpath in Nottingham on the evening of Friday 20 June 2025.

Officers had rushed to the scene near Canal Street after friends of the victim received a series of alarming Snapchat messages from her.

The victim had told them she was on her own with a man she didn’t know, and this prompted a call to the Police.

Aided by her location data, officers soon found the victim in a distressed state

Healey, now aged 44, was spotted a short distance away and arrested.

CCTV footage showed him leading the victim towards a secluded area at the rear of Nottingham One alongside the canal.

After his arrest, Healey, who was homeless and sleeping by the canal at the time, claimed to have had consensual sex with the woman.

At the first day of his trial on 8 December 2025, he changed his story and pleaded guilty to one count of rape.

Healey, who has previous convictions for offences including burglary and robbery, was on licence at the time of the offence having been released from prison the day before.

He later admitted to giving his victim two tablets used to treat anxiety, although it was accepted that he had not done so with a sexual motive.

Appearing back at Nottingham Crown Court today (19 June 2026, Healey, formerly of Canal Street, was given an extended sentence of 12 years and one month.

Judge Mark Watson ruled that Healey was a dangerous offender and must therefore serve at least two thirds of his sentence before he is eligible for parole – at which point he will be faced with an extended license period.

Detective Constable Melissa Starmer, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Healey is a dangerous and opportunistic offender who subjected a vulnerable young woman to a truly harrowing ordeal.

“Thanks to the third party report we received, we were able to get officers to the scene very quickly and detain this man before he had the chance to flee.

“He has been remanded in custody ever since and will now spend an extended period behind bars where he will not pose a risk to the women of Nottinghamshire.

“As this case draws to a close I would like to commend the victim in this case for her bravery during this investigation, her friends for alerting us to an ongoing incident, and to the officers who responded and showed such compassion in the way they dealt with a very vulnerable victim.”