Latest Offenders Lincoln

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A ‘manipulative and devious’ man who sexually assaulted a child on multiple occasions has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Kevin Rawlings formerly of High Street, Spalding, appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 July after being found guilty of 11 charges at an earlier hearing in May.

The 58-year-old had denied three counts of sexual assault and eight charges of failure to comply with a sex offenders notification but was judged responsible for the offences by a jury.

The crimes date back to a number of incidents in 2021 and saw Rawlings breach restrictions placed on him for previous sexual offences.

Rawlings had been remanded in custody following his conviction until yesterday where he appeared before court officials to receive his sentence.

He was jailed for eight years and, after serving his sentence, could be recalled to prison again if he offends within four years of release.

On sentencing, the judge referred to Rawlings as manipulative and devious.

The result concludes a lengthy investigation spanning multiple years and finally brings Rawlings to justice for his crimes.

Multiple agencies worked together, as well as a number of officers within Lincolnshire Police to piece together the evidence.

DC Sarah Oliver of Lincolnshire Police said:

“Rawlings showed total disregard for the victim at the centre of this case and should be ashamed of his actions.

“His behaviour is unacceptable on every level and there is no place for it in our county or society at large. He will rightfully spend a long time in prison.

“I am proud of the bravery and maturity the victim has shown in standing up and speaking – this has significantly impacted their childhood. But I’d like to thank them for remaining steadfast in the investigation and it is thanks to their courage that he is in prison.

“I know this isn’t the end for them, but I hope this sentence does in some way, help them move forward.

“And finally, I want to thank all those involved in the investigation who came together to ensure Rawlings was brought to justice and made to answer for his crimes.

“It was a complex case that required a broad variety of skills and expertise to bring to conclusion.”

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A convicted sex offender has been jailed again after breaching a strict court order.

Lewis Garraway, 28, flouted a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) by having contact with children, including some time unsupervised, without telling police.

The order was imposed on him in 2018 following a sexual offence with a girl and a two-week custodial sentence in a young offenders institution.

He breached the notification requirements of the order and was jailed for 18 months in October 2021.

Then, in 2024, Garraway met a woman in her early 20s through a dating app.

In October that year, he met her in person for the first time and stayed at her family home in the Littleport area, where two children also lived.

He failed to notify police of this contact, as required under the terms of his SHPO.

During his stay, he took one of the children to a park to play rugby without supervision, again breaching the order.

Garraway lied to his girlfriend that he was between properties, had lost the key to his home and had nowhere to live.

However, a family member grew suspicious and confronted Garraway after finding out about his previous offences.

The family member contacted police and on Friday, 12 June, at Cambridge Crown Court, Garraway, of Seagate Terrace, Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison after admitting breaching a SHPO and two counts of failing to comply with the Sex Offenders Register.

Investigating officer DC Claire Cummings said:

“Garraway showed a complete disregard for the restrictions placed on him to protect others, particularly children.

“Sexual harm prevention orders and notification requirements are there to manage risk and safeguard the public. Breaching them is a serious offence, and we will take robust action against anyone who fails to comply.

“I would encourage anyone who has concerns about someone’s behaviour, particularly where children may be at risk, to report it to us so we can take action.”

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A man found guilty of rape and sexual assault has been jailed for 13 years.

Jamie Twigg of Jellicoe Avenue in Lincoln was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, 5 June – just a day after he was found guilty of the offences in an eight-day trial.

The 43-year-old had been charged with eight counts of rape, including two counts of rape of a child and two counts of sexual assault.

Twigg had denied the offences – which took place between 2014 and 2023.

In a moving personal statement read to the court on Thursday, 4 June, the victim said they felt robbed of their childhood.

They told the court what happened will impact them for the rest of their life – but said that they were determined to have a ‘good life’ once Twigg had been dealt with.

Twigg was jailed for 13 years, given a sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite restraining order.

Detective Constable Bell, who led the investigation from Lincolnshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit, said:

“Today’s sentence concludes an exhaustive, difficult and lengthy investigation into the abhorrent crimes committed by Jamie Twigg spanning almost a decade.

“We will not and cannot be intimidated by anyone in the pursuit of safeguarding the children of Lincolnshire.

“We will leave no stone unturned and wish for others to know that support is available for them.

“I’d like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and all third-party agencies who have worked tirelessly alongside Lincolnshire Police over recent years to bring Twigg to justice for his crimes.”

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A man has been jailed after being found guilty of multiple sexual offences against two girls, following investigations into crimes committed decades apart.

Stuart Wright, 72, of Broad Lane, Moulton, Spalding, was found guilty of sexual offences at a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, 27 April.  

On Thursday, 21 May, the 72-year-old, who had denied the allegations made by the two girls, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard that the offending spanned more than 20 years. The first victim reported assaults that happened between 2017 and 2020. It was when the second victim became aware of the first survivor coming forward to police, that she took the brave step to come forward herself, reporting offences dating back nearly 30 years, between 1997 and 2000. The victims were both children when the offences took place and were unknown to one another.

Detectives carried out a thorough investigation, gathering evidence relating to both survivors' accounts, despite a significant passage of time since some the offences were committed.

Throughout the investigation and court process, both women were supported by Specialist Sexual Violence Advisers, who played a crucial role in supporting them throughout the investigative process, post-charge, and throughout the trial.

Detective Sergeant Katherine Brennan, who led the investigation throughout the court process, said:

"Some of these offences took place many years ago, and the sentencing proves that it is never too late to get justice.

"Crimes against children are some of the most emotive crimes that detectives will investigate, and I want to thank the various detectives and police staff who have worked on this case since the initial report to Police for their contribution in bringing this offender to justice.  

"The survivors showed immense strength and courage in coming forward and speaking to police about what they endured, and this bravery cannot be overstated. I hope that the sentence handed down by the court today provides them with a sense of justice.

"I would also like to recognise the invaluable work of the Specialist Sexual Violence advisers, who have provided ongoing, dedicated support and helped ensure the victims felt listened to and supported throughout this lengthy investigation."

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A man has been sentenced following convictions for serious sexual offences involving children.

Marc Gothorp, aged 45, of Carram Way, Lincoln, was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on 15/05/2026 after pleading guilty to multiple offences. 

These were:

• Three counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of the rape of a child under 13 between 22/10/2025 and 28/10/2025.
• Making indecent images of children (Categories A, B and C) between 06/09/2020 and 04/11/2025, comprising 1,870 category A, 1,316 category B and 592 category C images
• Distributing Category A indecent images of children between 25/03/2025 and 02/11/2025, comprising 21 images.

Gothorp was arrested by officers from Lincolnshire Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) on 05/11/2025.

At sentencing, the court determined that Gothorp meets the statutory criteria for classification as a dangerous offender.

He was sentenced to a custodial sentence of 10 years imprisonment and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

This investigation was conducted jointly by Lincolnshire Police POLIT and the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).

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A paedophile who sexually touched a young girl has been jailed.

Edwin Timewell, 58, assaulted the girl at a house in Peterborough at about 10am on 21 December 2024.

The girl alerted her parents and police were called.

Timewell admitted to officers he had touched the girl and said he didn’t know what he was doing.

On Wednesday (29 April), at Cambridge Crown Court, Timewell, of Essex Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, was jailed for two years, having pleaded guilty to assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register until January 2036 and handed sexual harm prevention and restraining orders until April 2036.

Detective Sergeant Steph Parker said:

“Timewell claimed he didn’t know what he was doing in that moment but offences like this can have huge impacts on victims and their families and that is reflected in the sentence given by the court.”

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An Uber Eats delivery driver who returned to a customer's address in Boston and raped her after a delivery has been jailed.

Jitendrakumar Prajapati, 47, of Castle Square, Wyberton West Road, Boston, appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on 27 March. He was sentenced to a five-year custodial sentence, reduced to three years and eight months after pleading guilty to rape. He was also sentenced concurrently for 18 months for sexual assault and served a deportation order.

The court heard how that Prajapati’s vulnerable victim had used the delivery service just after lunchtime on 19 January. He struck up conversation with her, stating that he’d just moved to the area and didn’t know anyone, that he needed help getting a visa and help to work. He asked for the victim’s Instagram account details, and they swapped phone numbers, playing on the good nature of the victim - to be able to keep in touch about helping him with his visa application.

He returned to the property at around 5pm the same day where they engaged in general conversation for a while before things took a sinister turn and he raped his victim.

After leaving the property, he sent a message to his victim saying, “Hey I am sorry”.  He then changed his WhatsApp username and enabled ‘disappearing chat after 24 hours’. More messages were exchanged where the victim accused him of raping her. His responses were apologetic and begging her not to tell.

Thanks to the courage of this young woman, police were notified, and swift investigative work identified the vehicle that he had used to make the initial delivery, which was traced to Prajapati. He was swiftly in custody by around 9pm, having been arrested on suspicion of rape and non-fatal strangulation, a charge which was later dropped at court.

The detective investigating this case, Detective Constable Jessica McKiernan, said:

“Bringing this offender to justice was made possible by the extraordinary courage shown by the victim in coming forward at the earliest opportunity. Her trust in us allowed our officers to begin swift and focused inquiries, which led to the suspect being located within hours. Her bravery has been vital in ensuring he is now held to account. We hope this outcome offers her some sense of reassurance as she moves forward on her own terms.”

Description

A man has been jailed for more than two decades after sexually abusing three pre-teen girls.

The abuse, which started as far back as the late 1990s, was reported to police in 2023 and Paul Wood was arrested.

The 60-year-old was subsequently charged and remanded.

He denied committing 17 sexual offences against three victims and the case was sent to trial.

On 10 March, he was found guilty of all charges by a jury:

• x5 counts of rape of a girl under 13
• x10 counts of assault by touching a girl under 13
• x1 count of sexual assault
• x1 count of attempt rape of girl under 13

Wood, of Wendover Rise, Cleethorpes, Lincs. was sentenced that same day.

A judge ordered him to serve a 21-year prison term and handed Wood an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Natalie Jones, officer in the case, said:

“The victims in the case have shown great courage from the outset of this investigation, and I’d like to thank them for coming forward and reporting Wood’s abuse.

“Disclosing abuse is never easy and we know that many people keep it a secret for a long time before feeling able to talk about it or report it.

“This case is testament to the fact that no matter when sexual abuse happened, we will investigate it and seek justice.

“Wood is a dangerous paedophile who belongs behind bars.

“I hope that the three young women in this case can now seek to move forward with their lives, knowing that Wood has been held publicly accountable for what he did to them.”

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A Boston man has been jailed for raping a girl under the age of 13.

George Cordell, 32, of Boston was sentenced to 12 years and six months following his appearance at Lincoln Crown Court today (16 March).

Cordell will serve an extra four years on licence, will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register and will also be given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).  He also has a restraining order against him. 

Cordell was convicted of two counts of raping a girl under 13, two counts of assault by penetration of a girl under 13, and two counts of sexual touching of a girl under 13.

The offences happened in the Boston area between August 2024 and September 2025.  

The 32-year-old was arrested in September 2025 and was charged on 11 November. Cordell also pleaded guilty to all charges during a hearing on 22 December and was remanded into custody until his next court appearance.

Detective Constable Sabooha Richeux, who led the investigation, said:

“We’d like to thank the victim for her bravery throughout the difficult steps of what was a highly emotional and sensitive case. Her strength and courage made such an impact to our investigation, which meant that we were able to secure an arrest, a charge and ultimately convict the man responsible for the crime.”

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A judge has called for an investigation after a convicted rapist attacked a woman while absconding from prison day release for a second time.

Neil Trennan, 61, received his third life sentence for assaulting a student during unsupervised day release from HMP North Sea Camp in Lincolnshire last year.

Trennan was first jailed for life in 1991 for breaking into a woman’s home in Sheffield, hitting her with a dumbbell, and raping her while unconscious.

He received a second life sentence in 2002 after escaping a “distracted” prison officer on day release in Norwich and hitting a woman with a brick in a public toilet.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that Trennan had confessed to parole boards of being aroused by violence and enjoying “violent, non-consensual sex.”

In July last year, on day release from Lincolnshire, he traveled to Sheffield, followed a student into her home, and attacked her with a knife. She knocked the knife away and locked herself in the bathroom.

The judge said that if she had not fought him off, Trennan would have subjected her to a violent rape.

On Wednesday, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, Recorder of Sheffield, imposed a third life sentence with a minimum of 10 years, stating it would likely never be safe to release him.

Judge Richardson called it “very unwise” to allow unsupervised release “given what was known about (him),” adding he had “been given no adequate explanation for the decision” and would send his remarks to the Lord Chancellor, who “may demand one.”

He said: “This is an appalling case of history repeating itself and of insufficient heed being taken of that history when you were placed in open prison conditions.

“That must never happen again. As I have stated you pose immense and enduring dangers to women of acute violence and associated sexual depravity.

“No woman is safe whilst ever you remain at large.”

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A ‘perverted criminal’ who admitted sexually abusing a young girl for his own sexual gratification has been sentenced to ten years and six months behind bars, placed on the sex offenders register for life and handed a 20 year sexual harm prevention order following an appearance at Grimsby Crown Court today (Friday, 20 February 2026)

Peter Coope, 39-years-old of Station Road in Healing pleaded guilty to inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, rape of a girl under 13 and assault a girl under 13 by touching, at an appearance at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday, 17 November 2025.

Coope’s crimes first came to officers’ attention through a third-party report at Grimsby Police Station after a young girl had disclosed the abuse that he had subjected her to.

Officers attended Coope’s home address, and he was arrested the same day (Monday, 21 April 2025).

An investigation was launched, and Coope initially denied all the allegations, telling the detectives that the girl was lying and that she must be making this up as she is ‘troubled’. He has since pleaded guilty at court to all four offences at court.

Detective Constable Liam Greenwood who led the investigation said:

“Coope is a perverted criminal who sexually abused a young girl, before telling her not to tell anyone about his atrocious actions.

“Thankfully she told a trusted adult, and I’d like to commend her for the bravery that she has shown both in that moment and throughout the investigation and the court process. Thanks to her this dangerous man is now behind bars and off our streets.

“I hope that today’s conviction reassures anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence that we will listen to you and we will support you.”

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Update, 20 February 2026

Joshua Springer was today (Friday, 20 February) handed a 21-year sentence, having previously pleaded guilty to nine charges of rape.

Springer, who is now 36 years old, was jailed following a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the rest of his life.

His offences related to three victims who were suffering from dementia, at a residential care home for elderly people in the Stamford area; and a fourth victim in the North Yorkshire area.

We have not named the care home, or the location in North Yorkshire, to protect the anonymity of Springer’s victims.

Springer was also sentenced for making indecent images of children, for which he had also previously pleaded guilty.

Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Lovatt, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit, is again appealing for anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Springer – who is also known as Joshua Kearney and Joshua Kearney Springer – to contact us.

"While Springer has today been sentenced for his horrific crimes, that does not mean that our investigations have stopped,” said DCI Lovatt.

"Our team has worked tirelessly for some time in bringing Springer to justice, and there may be other potential victims who perhaps have not yet come forward.

"I’d encourage them to contact us - you can call 101 (ask for Lincolnshire Police) and quote Incident 272 of 28 November. If you want to remain anonymous, then you can call Crimsteoppers on 0800 555 111.

"Today’s result shows that offenders will be brought to justice, so if you think you have been affected, please get in touch.”

Springer, formerly of Cornstall Buildings in Stamford, pleaded guilty to nine charges of rape when appearing at Lincoln Crown Court on 2 December 2025.

2025-12-03

A man accused of raping four women has pleaded guilty to his crimes.

Joshua Springer of Cornstall Buildings in Stamford appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday, 2 December where he pleaded guilty to nine charges of rape.

Six charges are evenly split between three women while the remaining three charges are connected to a fourth woman.

Three of his victims were based at a Lincolnshire care home, while a fourth victim was located at an address in the North Yorkshire area.

The 35-year-old also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children – including those in the most extreme category.

Springer had been arrested and subsequently charged in relation to several offences on 26 July.

It came a month after Lincolnshire Police were called to investigate reports vulnerable people had been sexually assaulted at an elderly residential care home in the Stamford area.

We have not named this care home, or the location in North Yorkshire, to protect the anonymity of Springer’s victims.

Springer appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on 28 July shortly after his arrest and was remanded into custody before he appeared yesterday to enter his plea.

He will now appear at Lincoln Crown Court to be sentenced on Friday, 6 February.

Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Lovatt thanked the family of the victims in this case for their courage and patience.

She said:

“Springer’s actions show a clear lack of human decency and respect for the victims he targeted.

“He abused a position of trust and used the access he had to attack some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“It is appalling, and my heart goes out to the victims and their families.

“The impact of Springer’s actions cannot be overestimated and will have long-lasting consequences. It was imperative that we got him behind bars and out of our community.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the women at the centre of this case and their families.

“Their courage and dignity cannot be put into words, and I hope that by bringing Springers to justice, they feel some form of comfort even if the road ahead is a long one.

“Cases like this have an enormous impact on family, friends, work colleagues and so on.

“Our investigations continue into Joshua Springer who has also used the surname Kearney and Kearney Springer if you believe you may have been a victim of him and/or have any information then we would encourage anyone to contact us to do so either by calling 101 (ask for Lincolnshire Police) quoting inc 272 of 28 November, anonymously through crime stoppers.

“If you’ve been the victim of rape or sexual assault or any other sexual offence not connected to Springer, then please report it to us or your local police service as soon as possible. I want to assure victims, we will listen – there are various ways you can get in touch, but please do not be afraid to. We are here to support you.

“Even if you’re not 100 per cent sure, we want to hear from you so that we can make sure you’re safe.

“If you’re not ready to talk to the police just yet, that’s OK.”

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A sleeping young woman "freaked out" in horror when she awoke to find a drunken man sexually assaulting her. In panic, she asked what he was doing and told him to leave.

She later felt "devastated" upon discovering a video of him joking about the incident, leaving her life "turned upside down," Hull Crown Court heard.

Joshua McBride, 21, admitted causing a person to engage in sexual activity during the Hull incident on September 15, 2024. The case was set for trial in November after he initially denied it and elected jury trial.

Prosecutor Hannah Turner said McBride tried kissing the woman at a property in the early hours, but she pushed him away. She fell asleep, then woke to pain in her mouth, finding his fingers prying her jaw open while he controlled her hand on his body.

"As soon as she realised what was happening, she freaked out," said Miss Turner. The woman asked: "What the f*** are you doing?" and leapt up, demanding he leave. Another person helped remove him, and she reported the assault.

The victim said her life was "turned upside down," fearing his return, suffering panic attacks, massive mental health deterioration, fatigue, and needing medication. It affected her family. She saw the video and felt McBride was "very dismissive," adding: "I feel I have been violated."

In a later statement, she noted improvement, reduced panic attacks, completed therapy, but still became tearful recalling it.

Defense lawyer Rachel Scott said McBride had no prior convictions: "This is the first time that he has ever been in trouble with the police and I can confidently say that it will be the last." He was immature then but now showed maturity and reflection. He had little memory, pleaded guilty late, and apologized.

McBride said: "I would never want to seek to make an excuse for what I did. I feel deep shame and regret for the mistake I made." Miss Scott clarified: "This wasn't a mistake. This was criminal behaviour." It gave him "the shock of his life," and he never wanted to repeat it.

McBride was involved in two football teams (on the board for one, handling finances), a cricket team, volunteered at events, and worked in a council's transport department.

Recorder Andrew Dallas noted McBride's "belated remorse," claiming until trial morning: "That's not the sort of thing I would do." He was "eight out of 10 drunk" during the "very serious sexual assault." "You knew that she was drunk and was not in any position to consent," said Recorder Dallas. He fought the case until the victim was "poised to give evidence and suffering anxiety and stress. She was devastated... and it has had profound consequences for her. You should be utterly ashamed of yourself."

McBride, of Manor Rise, Reepham, near Lincoln, received an eight-month suspended prison sentence, 180 hours' unpaid work, 15 days' rehabilitation, £1,630 costs, a 10-year restraining order, and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A man has been jailed for seven years and two months after he pleaded guilty to non-recent sex offences against a teenage girl.

Tom Heckley, 25, of Muirfield Way in Woodhall Spa was convicted of 15 offences when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court earlier today (22 January).

These include seven counts of sexual activity with a child involving penetration, one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Heckley committed the crimes in 2021 in the Lincolnshire area when he was 20 years old. The offences came to light following a report to the police in October 2023.

The 25-year-old was also convicted of six counts of possessing indecent images of children. The images and chat logs were discovered on Heckley’s phone after they were seized and examined and were of other teenage girls under 16 at the time.

Detective Constable Kye Sykes, who led the investigation, said:

“We’d like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim in this case. Having the courage to report a traumatic event and placing her trust in us meant that we were able to identify other victims and safeguard them to the best of our ability.

“Despite the case being reported three years after it took place, we hope that this case reiterates that it is never too late to report if you are a survivor of sexual abuse. We will do everything we can to thoroughly investigate historic offences and hold offenders accountable for their actions.

“We’d also like to give thanks to the Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) Service at Spring Lodge for their support that they provide to survivors of sexual violence.”

Heckley has also been given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a restraining order. Heckley has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

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A man whose ‘unrelenting derogatory’ behaviour and sexual abuse against a woman left her feeling ‘worthless’ has been sentenced to seven years behind bars and handed a lifetime restraining order following his appearance at Hull Crown Court last week (Wednesday, 10 December 2025).

Clive Lennon, 44-years-old of Brereton Avenue in Cleethorpes was found guilty of sexual assault by penetration, and coercive and controlling behaviour following a five-day trial at Hull Crown Court in October 2025.

We first received a report in April 2025 when officers received a call from a woman disclosing she had been verbally abused, assaulted, controlled and coerced by a man known to her, naming Clive Lennon as the one responsible.

The Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Investigation Team (DASIT) launched an investigation, and Lennon was arrested on suspicion of coercive and controlling behaviour and subsequently bailed pending further investigation a few days later.

Whilst engaging with the victim during initial enquiries, the woman further disclosed that Lennon had sexually assaulted her on another occasion. Officers were immediately deployed to Lennon’s address who was swiftly further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault by penetration and transported to custody.

Whilst in custody and during interview, Lennon denied all offences that had been put to him and claimed everything the woman said was a lie.

He was subsequently remanded into custody until his next hearing and DASIT continued stacking up the evidence against him including gathering witness and victim impact statements.

Leading the investigation was Police Constable Imran Akbar from our Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, who said:

“This woman has been subjected to unrelenting derogatory and degrading abuse, sexually assaulted and made to feel worthless and hopeless.

“Lennon repeatedly and continuously engaged in unspeakable behaviour towards the woman. He was controlling and coercive, degrading, assaulted her on numerous occasions, threatened her and her pets; ultimately significantly impacting her day-to-day life.

“It has been an extremely lengthy and difficult process for the woman, especially after Lennon refused to admit what he had done and forced her to relive the ordeal all over again in an intense five-day trial.

“I commend the woman’s bravery in coming forward and reporting Lennon’s disgraceful behaviour and actions towards her. It takes a great deal of courage to do this, and we would always urge anyone who has been subjected to crimes of this nature, or believes these crimes are taking place, to please come forward and tell someone.

“It is because of this woman’s bravery in taking that first step and standing up to Lennon, that he is now behind bars, and whilst this will not take away the pain she has been put through and will continue to have to live with, we hope this provides her with some reassurance.

“We take any report of domestic or sexual abuse and violence very seriously, and we will do whatever we can to hold people like Lennon accountable for their actions and the pain they cause to others.

“Violence against women and girls is wholly unacceptable, and I encourage anyone who is a victim of, knows someone who is, or has witnessed domestic abuse and violence in any form, to please contact us as soon as possible via our non-emergency number 101.

“If you are in immediate danger, or there is any risk to life, always call 999.

“If you are in danger and cannot talk on the phone, call 999 and listen to the questions from the operator. If you can, cough or tap on the handset to reply. You can also press 55 on your handset to make yourself heard and this will transfer your call directly to the police.”