A Winsford man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison after being found guilty of raping a woman as she slept.
Graham Kettlewell, of Crossfield Avenue, Winsford, had initially denied the charges against him but was found guilty at Chester Crown Court this week and handed a jail sentence of five years and six months. He has been ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.
The court had heard how the incident happened after Kettlewell, 27, walked his victim home in the early hours of January 17 2016.
She arrived at her address and went to bed but at some point woke up to find Kettlewell on top of her. She objected and left the room before Kettlewell left the house and confronted him later that day in a phone call and texts before reporting him to police.
Investigation
He was subsequently arrested and charged with rape after an investigation.
DC Sophia Haywood said: “The impact on the victim has been devastating. The rape has left her confidence in tatters. She has suffered emotionally and mentally, becoming withdrawn and deeply distrusting of men, but with support from family, friends and specialists - and with justice being done - we hope she can start to try and rebuild her life.
“The victim was asleep which was clearly an indication she was unable to consent. I hope this conviction goes as a warning to people that if a man or a woman is unable to consent, that is rape and you will be arrested and put before the courts.
“If the person is too drunk, unconscious or even changes their mind, it means no. As we have seen in this case, ignoring this can have far reaching consequences not only for the victim, but for the offender - affecting not only the offender’s liberty, but the rest of their life.”
If you have been a victim of a sexual offence, call Cheshire Police on 101 in confidence.
