The Crewkerne Rapist, William Chalkley, convicted of raping and assaulting two women has been sentenced to 24 years in prison.
William Chalkley, 40, of Court Barton, Crewkerne, was sentenced to imprisonment yesterday (Thursday, May 8) at Taunton Crown Court, convened at North Somerset Courthouse, after being unanimously convicted after a trial in March.
William Chalkley received a sentence for 11 counts of rape, as well as one count each of assault by penetration, sexual assault, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault inflicting actual bodily damage. The offences were perpetrated against two women from the mid-2010s to the mid-2020s.
The court was informed that William Chalkley had raped and sexually abused one woman before pursuing and subsequently assaulting and raping another victim.
In one impact statement, a victim remarked, “Upon learning that William Chalkley had been found guilty, I wept uncontrollably.” I felt immense relief upon hearing those words.
“One of the main reasons why I wanted to pursue this case was so he could not hurt another woman and to get justice for those of us who had been affected by his behaviour and his crimes. I feel this has now been achieved.
“William Chalkley completely destroyed me as a person. He took away a lot of my life, but each day I am becoming a stronger person. I now want to move on with my life and be the person I want and deserve to be.”
In an impact statement, William Chalkley’s second victim said: “From the point that this incident happened I was in complete disbelief… I was terrified of him hurting me again. I constantly questioned whether I could have done something to prevent this situation ever happening. I felt trapped.
“This has changed my life. I need to rebuild my whole self and life again. I want to be back to the me before this happened.
“I am so lucky I have the fantastic support of my family and close friendship group. I do not know what I would have done without their unwavering support. I am also thankful to the police who have been with me every step of the way and have constantly been there when I needed them.”
In a joint statement, the two investigating officers DC Nicola Raybould and DC Simon Ledbury said: “We wish to thank the victims in this case who, through their incredible strength, courage and determination, have brought a dangerous offender to justice.
“William Chalkley has refused to accept the severity of his actions against the two victims and has shown no remorse throughout the investigation and at court.
“The two victims expressed throughout the police investigation that they did not want any more women to be victims of William Chalkley. Their commitment to ensure justice is served has resulted in him receiving a lengthy custodial sentence.
“We hope this conviction sends out an important message – any acts of violence towards women and girls will never be tolerated and every victim deserves to be heard and supported.”
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.