A judge said Collins had been “getting 12 ecstasy tablets each fortnight” and was smoking cannabis while at Lambeth Hospital, adding that he was “not unwell” when he committed the offences.
Collins, of no fixed address, was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order at the time of the offences, which prohibited him from “approaching, deliberately following, speaking or communicating with any females unknown to you in public”.
No signs of psychotic illness
Patricia May, prosecuting, told the sentencing hearing that Collins was let out of the hospital without supervision on August 18 last year after doctors agreed he could have an unescorted absence.
Shortly after being released, he groped a woman at Clapham Common station as she travelled up the escalator.
Collins later returned to the hospital past his curfew, but despite this was allowed to leave again on August 20.
That day he attacked and attempted to rape two other women, sexually assaulting four more and threatening to kill another, before raping the jogger at around 8am on August 21, May said.
Siobhan Molloy, mitigating, said Collins claimed voices in his head had told him to carry out the attacks. However, a doctor said Collins did not show signs of a psychotic illness.
‘Shattered my trust in people and justice’
In a statement read at court the victim said: “On August 21, my world turned upside down. What happened on that day shattered my sense of security, trust in people and justice.”
The victim said she had waited 18 months for professional counselling to help her deal with the trauma.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Simon Heptonstall told Collins: “Your behaviour was the stuff of nightmares for all women and their families.
“This was a campaign of rape and attempted rape over a short period against multiple victims, with some less serious but far from minor offences.”
Referring to the jogger in Twickenham Judge Heptonstall said the victim “does not feel safe anymore” and “is hyper-vigilant”.
‘Haunted by your attack’
He added: “She cannot go out alone, her home feels like a prison. She cannot work in the same way. She remains haunted by your attack.
“She is determined to fight to get her life back and refuses to be defined by what you did to her.”
Collins was detained at Richmond railway station after pushing through the barriers at 9.40am on August 21, within half an hour of the victim returning home and seeking help.
Police officers returned Collins to Lambeth Hospital, where he was arrested at 9pm that day in relation to the rape.
The judge said Collins, who had previously been diagnosed with hebephrenic schizophrenia, had used drugs since he was 12, starting on cannabis and moving to ecstasy, ketamine and cocaine in 2019.
Addressing Collins, who gave a thumbs-up as he left the dock, he said: “You were using drugs at the time of these offences. You had been getting 12 ecstasy tablets each fortnight while at the hospital. You were smoking cannabis.
“Your leave had been reduced earlier in the year and that had made the voices worse. They were telling you to rape a girl and have sex with a girl. You did not speak to the staff about this.”
‘Limited prison capacity does not matter’
Judge Heptonstall said the fact there is “very limited capacity in prisons at present” was of “minimal” consideration in regard to sentencing, because Collins is already in jail and “clearly must go to prison”.
He added there is “not just a significant but a very high risk” of Collins committing further sexual offences.
Collins was sentenced for rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, kidnap and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.
He was also sentenced for making threats to kill, outraging public decency, actual bodily harm, strangulation, threatening with a blade and threatening with offensive weapon.
A spokesman for South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for Lambeth Hospital, said: “We strongly support the court’s decision today.
“These are appalling crimes, and our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
“We have completed a thorough internal investigation and continue to do our utmost to improve our services”.
