LEE BANKS SENTENCED IN ILMINSTER FOR MULTIPLE SEX OFFENCES IN YEOVIL

In December 2020, Lee Banks, a 27-year-old man from Ditton Street in Ilminster, was handed a severe prison sentence after being convicted of multiple serious sexual offences that took place in Yeovil during 2018. The court proceedings revealed the disturbing details of Banks' actions, which included the rape of a teenage girl and sexual activity with another underage girl.

Lee Banks was found guilty of raping the first victim a total of four times. The court heard that two of these assaults occurred while the girl was asleep, highlighting the gravity and brutality of his actions. During the sentencing hearing at Taunton Crown Court, Recorder Richard Shepherd described Banks as a “manipulator,” emphasizing the calculated nature of his crimes and his ability to exploit vulnerable individuals.

In addition to the rape charges, Banks pleaded guilty to engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a different underage girl. All of these offences were committed in Yeovil, a town in Somerset, and the incidents spanned over a period in 2018. The court was informed that Banks was drawn to younger girls, a conclusion supported by a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service, which detailed his predatory tendencies.

During the sentencing, Recorder Shepherd addressed the emotional state of the victims, particularly the girl who was raped. He stated that she was emotionally vulnerable, and he condemned Banks’ manipulative behavior. The judge described Banks as a man in his twenties who exploited and controlled a young girl, with two of the rapes occurring while she was unconscious. The court heard that Banks explicitly sought sexual activity, disregarding her clear refusals and lack of consent. The judge emphasized that these were not cases of mere non-consent but instances where the victim explicitly did not want to engage in sexual acts, yet Banks proceeded regardless.

The court also noted that the offence involving the underage girl took place when Banks was 24 years old. The judge sentenced Banks to a total of 12 and a half years in prison. Additionally, he was subjected to a strict sexual harm prevention order for ten years and was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the community from further harm.