Wiltshire man who raped woman twice jailed for six years

Wiltshire Police urged victims of sexual offences to report them to the police

A man who raped a woman twice after meeting her on a night out has been jailed for six years.

James Rumney, 29, attacked his victim at a house they went back to with a group at the end of the evening in 2020, Wiltshire Police said.

Rumney, of Paulton Hill, Marlborough, Wiltshire, was found guilty of two counts of rape after a trial at Swindon Crown Court.

He was sentenced at the same court on Friday.

Following his release, Rumney will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Police said the defendant assaulted his victim in September 2020 following the night out.

The pair had gone back to the house and eventually had consensual sex, the force said.

But the victim refused Rumney's later demands for more sex and he forced himself on her, raping her twice, a spokesperson said.

'Treated as inanimate object'

As he sentenced the defendant, Judge James Townsend said he did not take the fact they had had consensual sex before the attacks as a "mitigating factor".

"The impact on your victim has been devastating. I want to pay tribute to her for revealing these matters and to go through the trauma of giving evidence," he said.

Det Con Sally Booth said the case highlighted how "a relatively typical situation, where a man and woman have consensual sex together after meeting up on a night out, can quickly change to the awful crime of a serious sexual assault".

"Our victim asked the perpetrator to stop on more than one occasion but he refused and continued to force himself on her, at times treating her like an inanimate object," she said.

"She was terrified and very distressed and it took an enormous amount of bravery for her to get away from him and then report it to us."

She said in situations where the victim previously gave their consent, it can be difficult for them to report it, but they "must".

"A serious crime has been committed. You will be believed and treated by specially trained officers," Det Con Booth added.