Longfield man jailed after raping woman after night out in Gravesend

A woman who woke up after a night of drinking with friends to find herself being raped by a man she knew had to watch her attacker go to prison.

The victim was walking in Gravesend when he met Rhys Cheal on August 21.

She had planned to go to a friend’s house at the end of the evening, but Cheal, whom she already knew, had followed her and offered to take her to a taxi.

When the woman’s boyfriend asked if he could come along, Cheal said he would take her home because she was feeling unwell.

Instead, he took her to an address in Longfield, where she fell asleep. When she woke up, she found him raping her.

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Cheal admitted his crime over the phone and the victim later reported her ordeal to police.

The 26-year-old, of Weird Wood, Longfield, was arrested on December 3 and charged with rape.

He had pleaded not guilty at Woolwich Crown Court but was convicted following a trial on Friday (21 June).

Cheal was sentenced to four years and six months in prison and will be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Detective Constable Stephanie Wilson said: “This man committed an appalling crime by taking advantage of a vulnerable young woman.

“Under the pretext of being concerned for her welfare, he prevented her friends from accompanying her and then took her to an address where he raped her.

“He is now beginning his prison sentence and I would like to commend the victim who had the courage to report the crime and subsequently assisted our investigation until Cheal was brought to justice.

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“I would urge anyone who has been a victim of a sexual assault to contact us as soon as possible.

“We have trained officers to take steps to ensure your safety and then ensure that the perpetrators cannot harm others.”