A Radcliffe man betrayed the trust of a woman by raping her, refusing to stop even when she told him "no". John-Marc Balsamo, 42, was convicted of one count of rape by a jury following a trial on August 9 at Leeds Crown Court. Balsamo, of Crofters Brook, Radcliffe, spent the morning after the vile sexual assault “bombarding” the victim with text messages, apologising for his actions and trying to gauge if she would go to the police.
During the sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, September 20, Balsamo’s family, who filled the public gallery, were scalded by Judge Christopher Batty for shaking their heads and “trying to belittle” the impact the attack had on the victim. Leeds Crown Court (Image: Public) Adam Walker, prosecuting, briefly outlined to the court how Balsamo raped his victim on November 28, 2021. He described how the victim had repeatedly told him no, even hitting him on the leg to try and make him stop the attack, but he refused to stop the attack.
John-Marc Balsamo (Image: Greater Manchester Police) Walker read the victim’s impact statement as she watched on in court, laying out how Balsamo had breached her trust and left her suffering long-term mental health issues which require medication. He said: “The victim says she was raped by someone she trusted. “She suffers from panic attacks which require medication, has trouble sleeping and it has impacted her ability to parent her children.
“She is undergoing therapy to help but unsurp.