TEWKESBURY MAN SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS FOR RAPING VULNERABLE WOMAN
A man from Tewkesbury has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of multiple counts of rape.Vernon Steele, from the Northway area, faced four charges of rape but denied the allegations initially.
He was found unanimously guilty by a jury at Gloucester Crown Court.
The court heard that Steele befriended a vulnerable woman with significant learning difficulties in June 2023, claiming he was helping her with household chores.
A month later, he showed her explicit videos on his phone, which she disliked and asked him to stop.
A few days after that, Steele raped her in her bedroom, and over the next ten days, committed three more sexual assaults in her home.
The victim's neighbor found her distressed and crying, and reported Steele to the police.
She stated Steele had raped her on four occasions, and each time she said 'no'.
Steele was initially arrested and released on bail, denying the accusations during police interviews.
However, forensic evidence later supported the victim’s claims, leading him to change his story and admit to having consensual sex with her on one occasion.
The Crown Prosecution Service then charged him with four counts of rape.
Steele appeared in court and was again released on bail.
He later failed to appear at Gloucester Crown Court on 22 November 2024, prompting a warrant for his arrest.
Following sightings, police located him in the Newent area, and he was re-arrested on 20 December 2024.
Steele is now remanded in custody pending trial and has been sentenced to eight years in jail.
Additionally, he will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
Judge Rupert Lowe described Steele’s actions as a betrayal of trust, saying: "You conceived that this vulnerable woman might be an outlet for your sexual frustrations.
You showed her sexual video material on your phone but she didn't want to see it.
You were not to be deterred by her lack of enthusiasm for this and you got her into her own bedroom and removed her lower clothing and had sexual intercourse without her consent which is an offence of rape." Detective Constable Jon Furse emphasized the severity of Steele’s crimes, stating: "Steele raped the woman multiple times.
He knew she was extremely vulnerable, and she had repeatedly told him no, but he ignored her and raped her.
He subjected her to horrific crimes that will impact her for the rest of her life.
His denial was ultimately overcome by clear forensic evidence, and the jury returned a guilty verdict in just 34 minutes." The case underscores the importance of reporting sexual assault, as the officer commended the victim for her bravery.
