Locations
Gateway Plaza, Sackville Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70
Description
A man has been jailed for serious sexual assaults on two former partners.
James Nolan, formerly of Belper, preyed on the women while they slept.
He raped and sexually assaulted the first woman at an address in Derby.
The woman was in and out of sleep, in the early hours of the morning, when she realised Nolan was raping her.
Their relationship had ended a week before the rape occurred.
The second woman, a subsequent partner of Nolan’s, woke one morning to find him sexually assaulting her at another address in Derby. The woman ended their relationship immediately after the incident.
The incidents happened two years apart and both women made independent reports to police a short while after they occurred.
In respect of the first victim Nolan, 30, was summonsed to appear at court to answer charges of rape and sexual assault.
He offended against the second victim while waiting to appear at court on those charges.
Nolan was arrested in relation to the second assault and was subsequently charged with sexual assault by penetration and remanded into police custody.
The following day Nolan attended a court hearing and denied the offence; he was then bailed by the court ahead of a trial being set.
Nolan appeared at court again in November 2025 and admitted the rape against the first woman and the sexual assault counts against both women.
A judge sentenced Nolan to serve 10.5 years in prison during a hearing at Derby Crown Court on 20 April this year.
Nolan, of Gateway Plaza, Barnsley, was also handed indefinite restraining orders in respect of both women and is required to register with police indefinitely.
Detective Constable Michelle Arnold, officer in the case for the first incident said:
“The two women in this case showed real bravery by coming forward and reporting Nolan’s crimes to us.
“I know there was a lot of worry and uncertainty for both victims throughout. From making an initial report and concerns about being believed, to Nolan initially refusing to admit his crimes which made the ordeal of a trial a very real prospect.
“I’d like to thank both women for having the courage to speak with us and trusting us to seek justice on their behalf.”
Detective Constable Jeannette Gardner, who led the investigation into the second incident, added:
“Despite it taking several years for the case to conclude in court the women remained steadfast with their support for the police investigation and wider legal proceedings.
“Their persistence has led to this outcome at court, with Nolan being taken off the streets and unable to cause any further harm.
“James Nolan is predatory individual who exploited women who trusted him, and who he claimed to care about offending against them when they were at their most vulnerable.”