Francis Henshaw, a Heywood Rapist has received a nine-year prison sentence, along with a two-year extended license, following his conviction for rape and sexual assault.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Francis Henshaw, a 42-year-old resident of Bury New Road, coerced the victim into accompanying him to a secluded area where he proceeded to commit a sexual assault against her. Somebody from the general public interfered in the occurrence and guided the victim to a different location.
In December 2022, Francis Henshaw committed another offence by approaching a woman during a night out in Rochdale Town Centre. Shortly after that, he proceeded to commit sexual assault and rape against her in an isolated location.
Furthermore, Francis Henshaw has been subjected to incarceration and has been included in the sex offender registry for an unspecified duration, subject to frequent evaluation.
Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland of GMP’s Rochdale district said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the victims in these awful incidents for their bravery throughout this process. I would also like to thank all the witnesses who came forward to help us bring this result.
“Multiple officers and detectives have worked hard on this case and their efforts have ensured that the victims of this case received the justice they deserved.
“Francis Henshaw’s actions were despicable, and we welcome this sentence. This is a stark warning to offenders in Greater Manchester – this sort of behaviour will be treated with zero tolerance.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.