Man jailed for raping woman while she slept

William Kyaruhanga has been sent to jail for eight years after a trial at Chester Crown Court

A man has been jailed for eight years for raping a woman while she slept.

William Kyaruhanga was given the sentence at Chester Crown Court on Thursday.

The 58-year-old, of Belgrave Road, Macclesfield, was found guilty after a trial of one count of rape after the incident in December 2023.

Police said the victim had been with friends in Congleton when a friend contacted Kyaruhanga to take her home. He took the woman home, where she fell asleep next to him on the sofa and later woke to discover he was raping her, they added.

She pushed him away, officers said, and went upstairs to tell her friend what had happened.

Kyaruhanga was confronted and left the address, and the woman called police the following day.

"I welcome the substantial custodial sentence handed to Kyaruhanga, who tried to deny the offences, but the jury ultimately found him guilty of this despicable crime," said Det Con Doug Whitfield.

"Kyaruhanga chose to take advantage of a woman who was unable to consent while she was asleep.

"He clearly had no regard for her welfare or the impact this would have on her going forwards. I hope the conclusion of this case will provide her with some sense of closure."

He added he hoped the case served as an example of how seriously they take reports of sexual offences.