The Southampton Rapist, Thomas Antony Drew, an individual has been incarcerated for the sexual assault of a female at a residence in Southampton earlier this year.
Thomas Antony Drew, aged 26, from Golden Grove, was presented at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday, September 5th, when he received a prison sentence of three years and four months. In addition, Thomas Antony Drew will be placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years, which will impose stringent requirements. Furthermore, he will be issued a restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victim for 15 years.
The woman, who is in her 30s, informed the police that on Tuesday, 27 February, she was at a residence in Southampton with Drew. She stated that Thomas Antony Drew forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with her against her will, constituting rape.
Southampton’s Amberstone section, which specialises in investigating accusations of rape and serious sexual assault, initiated an investigation and subsequently detained Thomas Antony Drew, who was later prosecuted.
During a hearing at Southampton Crown Court in July, Thomas Antony Drew admitted to committing one instance of rape and one instance of sexual assault by penetration.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said that Thomas Antony Drew had abused her trust in the most devastating way imaginable, and that what happened to her had impacted both her mental and physical health.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Georgina Harris, who led the investigation, said: “Thomas Antony Drew’s actions have understandably had a significant and traumatic effect on the woman he raped and assaulted. While I know that no court outcome can change what she has had to endure, I do sincerely hope that Drew’s imprisonment goes some way in helping her closure and recovery.
“I would like to add that I am incredibly grateful to the victim for reporting what happened to her so swiftly, which meant we were able to arrest Drew quickly and bring him before the courts to face the consequences of his crimes. Without her courage we would not have secured this outcome.
“We take every report of rape and sexual assault made to us extremely seriously. We will investigate each one, no matter what the circumstances, and have specially trained teams to investigate and provide support to victims.
“We urge anyone who feels they have been a victim of rape, other sexual offences and domestic abuse to please report it to us or to a support service. You will be listened to and you will be supported.”
For more information on the support available, and how to report to police, please visit https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/rape-sexual-assault-support/
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.