Rapist jailed for ‘cruel’ attack on sleeping woman

An Isle of Wight man who raped a woman in her sleep has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Ross Lacey, of Gort Road, East Cowes, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 26 July.

The 37-year-old was convicted of rape on December 7, 2023 following a jury trial at the Isle of Wight Crown Court.

In early 2019, the victim was asleep and under the influence of alcohol and drugs when Lacey exploited and raped her, the court heard.

She described feeling hurt and ashamed by his actions and later found the courage to report the incident to the police in May 2021.

In February 2022, Lacey was charged with rape, which he denied.

The case went to trial on December 4, 2023, and Lacey was later found guilty by the jury.

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On Friday, he was sentenced to seven years in prison and given an indefinite restraining order.

Police investigator Louisa Parkin, who was in charge of the case, said: “Reporting this incident to the police took enormous courage and I also had to muster the strength and resilience to see the case through to this point.”

“The victim in this case not only suffered a horrific sexual assault, but also suffered shame because of what Lacey did to her. Lacey will now spend a significant amount of time in prison as a result.

“Rape and sexual crimes leave lasting scars on survivors and I hope that this result reassures those affected by sexual abuse that we take these allegations very seriously and will do everything in our power to support victims and take action against perpetrators.”