Locations
Ernest Road, Portsmouth, City Of Portsmouth, PO1
Description
A 22-year-old man has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of a sexual offence following a seven day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.
Rene Blankson of Ernest Road in Fratton was arrested and subsequently charged after a 16-year-old girl was attacked in Fratton early on Saturday 20 July last year.
The teenager was walking along Fratton Road at around 01:15am when a man she did not know started talking to her. He then assaulted her in St Mary’s churchyard. The girl managed to run away and asked a member of the public for help.
On Thursday 1 May 2025 Blankson was found guilty of assaulting a female aged thirteen or over by penetration with a part of the body by a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court. He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday 14 August to five years in prison, an additional three year extended license period, and is subject to a restraining order for life.
Following the trial Blankson was found not guilty of other offences including sexual assault, and non-fatal strangulation.
Officer in the case Detective Constable Amy Thatcher said:
“This attack has continued to have a significant impact on the victim both physically and mentally. Her bravery in speaking to us and reliving the most traumatic moments of her childhood is to be commended and I truly hope this court result assists her recovery.
“We take all allegations of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences, it is our promise to you that you will be heard and listened to. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases”