Detectives have commended the vital contribution of a sexual assault survivor in securing the imprisonment of her assailant, Wollaton Rapist, Gareth Odell.
Gareth Odell now confronts an extended prison sentence due to the resilience demonstrated by his victim.
The woman exhibited remarkable bravery by approaching the authorities and disclosing Gareth Odell’s actions against her.
She was raped by Gareth Odell on a minimum of 20 distinct occasions throughout 2020 and 2021, at two separate locations in Nottingham.
The rapist’s persistent criminal behaviour was revealed shortly thereafter when his victim courageously chose to report it to the authorities.
Gareth Odell was then apprehended and indicted on nine distinct charges of rape and an additional charge of sexual assault.
The 37-year-old refuted any misconduct, leading to a trial at Nottingham Crown Court in March of this year.
Notwithstanding Gareth Odell’s denials, the jury discerned his falsehoods and convicted him on all 10 charges.
Gareth Odell, residing on Charlbury Road in Wollaton, returned to the same court for sentencing over his offences on 2 July.
Characterising him as “a threat to women,” Judge Julie Warburton imposed an enhanced jail sentence of 24 years on Gareth Odell.
He received a 16-year prison sentence, followed by an extra eight years of supervised release upon his discharge.
Gareth Odell was also subjected to an indefinite restraining order.
Detective Constable Lucy Clarke, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Thanks to the immense bravery showcased by the woman he abused, Gareth Odell will now spend a substantial period of his life behind bars.
“It’s impossible to sum up the pain, trauma and anguish his actions would’ve caused to this woman, and yet she found the strength to come forward and report it to the police, which is to her absolute credit.
“Gareth Odell’s actions were despicable, as he repeatedly forced his victim to have sex with him throughout 2020 and 2021, despite her making it clear to him that she didn’t want to.
“That removal of consent meant what he did – on at least 20 separate occasions – amounted to rape, which is an incredibly serious offence that can destroy a person’s life.
“Even after inflicting all the pain he did, Gareth Odell compounded the damage he’d caused further by denying doing anything wrong and making his victim have to relive it all again.
“Thankfully, the jury were able to see through his lies in the trial that followed and convicted him on all ten counts.
“We hope the sentence passed today provides the victim with some small degree of comfort, while also sending a message to other survivors of sexual abuse that we will listen and take action should you report it to us.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this website, 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.