BOURNEMOUTH BODYBUILDER SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS FOR RAPE AND ASSAULT IN FERNDOWN
A rapist who subjected his victim to “repeated violence” in a supermarket car park has been sentenced to eight years in prison.Reuben Warren, aged 27, of Surrey Road, Bournemouth, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.He had earlier pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.
Warren reacted with remorse, swearing under his breath and shaking his head after the verdict.The court was told that Warren, a 19-stone bodybuilder, and his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had met at a local pub before he drove them both in his van to Tesco in Ferndown to buy cigarettes.
Prosecutor David Richards stated Warren wanted sex, which the woman regarded as a joke, but he then attacked her, dragging her into his van and striking her head and face.Blood matching her DNA was found on Warren’s clothes and the van, corroborating her account.
In Warren’s defense, Isabelle Gillard claimed the sex was consensual and that he “lost self-control” upon realizing he had cheated on his girlfriend, slapping her and later apologizing.
However, the jury did not accept this version of events.His Honour Judge John Harrow sentenced Warren to 8 years for rape, 2 years for sexual assault, and 12 months for assault causing actual bodily harm, with all sentences to run concurrently.
Judge Harrow emphasized that the victim was entitled to trust Warren and that he had used repeated violence to force himself upon her, causing her substantial injuries.
Warren’s actions and the subsequent conviction highlight the severity of his crimes and the legal repercussions he faces.
