WILLIAM THORPE AND HIS SHOCKING RAPE IN READING
William Thorp, the grandson of a former prison governor, is set to serve additional time behind bars after being convicted of raping a young woman in Reading.This case is a stark reminder of the seriousness of sexual assault crimes and the importance of justice for victims.
Thorp, who previously resided on Bowyers Lane in Warfield, Bracknell Forest, has a criminal history that predates this latest offence.
He had already spent time in custody for prior assault charges and has a record of violent behavior, which included two counts of assault against the same woman he raped in 2019, as well as three battery offenses committed against another woman in both February and April of 2020.
His previous prison sentence summed up to roughly four and a half months served.
The incident in question took place on August 6, 2019, at Thorp's flat in Reading.
The victim, a young woman, had come to his residence around 9 pm to collect shoes and some money that Thorp owed her.
After a brief visit, she left his apartment about twenty minutes later, without retrieving the items she had come for.
However, during this short period, Thorp subjected her to a violent assault involving rape.
During the court proceedings, it was detailed that Thorp placed his hands on her throat during the assault, a move that illustrates the violent nature of his act.
Furthermore, he resorted to emotional blackmail, threatening to harm himself with a knife directed at the woman, in an apparent attempt to exert control and dominance over her.
The court heard how this act left the victim extremely distressed, prompting her to immediately seek help from two friends.
With their assistance, she reported the incident to the police.
Thorp was arrested during the early hours of August 7, following the police investigation.
Throughout the legal process, he maintained that the encounter was consensual and insisted on his innocence.
However, the evidence presented during the trial was compelling enough to convince a jury to find him guilty of the rape charge in October 2021.
At sentencing, the presiding judge, His Honour Judge Burgess, took into account Thorp’s extensive criminal record.
While he previously received a sentence of four and a half months for similar assault and battery offenses, the court did not extend the sentence this time.
Instead, Thorp was sentenced to a substantial prison term of at least three years and nine months, totaling a 7.5-year imprisonment period, reflecting the severity of his latest conviction.
The judge emphasized that Thorp’s history of violence and assault contributed to the decision to impose a lengthy custodial sentence, aiming to protect the community and uphold justice for the victim.
