London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Rapist who left woman with 80 injuries blamed attack on a ‘demon’

'Twisted' Darren Callaghan spiked the woman's drink after meeting her on a dating website then violently raped her.

A ‘twisted’ rapist who attacked a woman after spiking her drink blamed the 80 injuries her gave her on a ‘demon’.

Darren Callaghan, 48, claimed his victim became ‘sex-crazed’ after taking MDMA which caused her to act ‘like something out of the Exorcist.’

When she woke semi-naked in the morning with 80 injuries all over her body he tried to convince her they were caused by supernatural activity.

But a court was told ‘this was nothing to do with ghosts’ and Callaghan, who met the woman on a dating website, had laced her drink with ecstasy or MDMA before raping her.

He was a given a 16-year extended prison sentence at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday and will only be freed if the Parole Board considers it safe to do so.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said the case was one of ‘the most appalling pieces of violence associated with rape that the court has witnessed in many years.’

He told Callaghan: ‘Your actions have as good as ruined her life.’

The court heard how Callaghan was keen to give his date a ‘powerful form’ of MDMA, knowing it would have ‘a massive impact’ on someone not used to taking it.

He wanted his victim to be ‘incapacitated’ so he could carry out his ‘perverse and twisted’ desire’ to beat and abuse her.

Judge Lockhart told the defendant: ‘You said she had had a seizure and that her home was possessed. This was a cruel aspect of your behaviour.

‘You showed yourself to be a dangerous and manipulative man.’

Throughout the hearing Callaghan, of Southsea, Hants., interrupted the judge by loudly proclaiming his innocence.

Kim Preston, defending, said: ‘He feels passionately and indignantly about his version of events.

‘He had a distortion in his mind about whether she was able to consent during the intercourse which took place.

‘This defendant did not set out that night to go to her home and assault and rape her.’

But Judge Lockhart QC said: ‘That may be your assessment. You must be mindful that my assessment is different, and the jury’s finding is very different.’

The court had heard Callaghan drove 140 miles from the south coast to meet the woman in Rugby, Warwickshire, for a date after they met on the internet.

They had been getting on well during their online chats and had talked about sex.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he became ‘a little boisterous’ and got physical when he arrived at her house, trying to pull her trousers down, until she told him to stop.

The pair then visited various pubs in Rugby, where she had five or more glasses of wine before they got a taxi back to her house.

Prosecutor Adrian Fleming said Callaghan put drugs in her drink without her consent, causing her to have ‘some sort of seizure’.

He said the victim had no recollection of having sex with ‘whatsoever’.

He said: ‘If she was incapable, any sex he had with her was rape.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×