A sex beast who twice befriended and then raped a drunk Australian tourist in central Manchester has been released on parole over his violent behavior in prison and his refusal to attend sex offender courses.
Stephen Johnson, then 29, of Spruce Court, Salford was given an extended sentence of 12 years for the June 2013 attack – a type of punishment reserved for dangerous offenders.
He was found guilty of carrying out the horrific attack on the 20-year-old victim who was on holiday in Britain in an alley after speaking to her as she walked through the city’s Piccadilly Gardens.
Manchester Crown Court was told that on June 12, 2013, the young victim had gone to Manchester for a night out and walked through the park, where Johnson asked her for a cigarette.
They sat down together and talked for a while, but when the woman left it became clear she was drunk and Johnson took advantage of this and led her away.
Stephen Johnson, then 29, was found guilty of raping his victim twice near Piccadilly Gardens in June 2013
He began touching her inappropriately, then pulled her into an alley, pushed her to the ground and raped her.
Johnson hid as a car passed, but followed the woman and raped her again.
Despite her feeling weak, he continued to attack her until she finally managed to escape and run to where two waste pickers were working nearby.
They called the police and Johnson was arrested.
Detective Inspector Emma Cyprien, from GMP’s Serious Sexual Crimes Unit, said after the trial: ‘Johnson could clearly see that the victim was incapable of consenting to any sexual activity and it is a reflection of his character that he abused made her, raped her and sexually abused her.
“She has had to relive her ordeal in court and I must thank her for speaking out against Johnson and helping to ensure that justice was done.”
Under the terms of his extended sentence, Johnson, now 38, had to serve two-thirds of his 12 years before being eligible for parole. This was his first hearing.
He was first eligible for parole on July 19, 2022, and the appeal was based on documentary evidence. Johnson did not appear and was not allowed to give oral evidence.
The 20-year-old victim was on holiday in Britain in an alley after talking to her as she walked through the city’s Piccadilly Gardens (pictured)
A summary of the Parole Board’s decision, seen by MailOnline, said Johnson had displayed bad behavior in prison and used violence.
It says: ‘Evidence was presented in the file regarding Mr Johnson’s progress and custodial conduct during his sentence.
‘His behavior in prison was poor, including some aggression and violence, although there had been recent improvement.
‘Mr Johnson had not yet completed an accredited program to address his offending behavior but had just begun relevant work that would focus on his thinking and decision-making, relationships, his attitudes and his future goals.’
It added: ‘The authors of the report were not in favor of release at this stage.’
Under the heading ‘Risk Assessment’ the report notes: ‘The panel noted that Mr Johnson had spent a lot of time thinking about sex in his daily life and that he was motivated by sexual gratification.
‘He had no empathy for victims and had an unhelpful attitude which led him to seek power and control over others and to support crime.
‘Mr Johnson had anti-social friends, abused drugs and alcohol and tended to blame others for his problems.’
Manchester Crown Court (pictured) was told the young victim had gone to Manchester for a night out before the attack
The panel also considered a probation plan and concluded it was not robust enough to manage Johnson in the community.
The Parole Board concluded: ‘After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented in the case file, the Panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.’
A Parole Board spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that a Parole Board panel has refused Stephen Johnson’s release following an oral hearing.
“Decisions made by the Parole Board focus solely on the risk an inmate might represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.”
Johnson is eligible for a second parole hearing in 2025, but if he is not released on license he will be automatically released in July 2026.