One of the victims on why she supported the case through court - "I did this for all women... for the women who have been silenced."

A man from Cheltenham who raped two women has been jailed for 12 years.

Daniel Hutchinson, aged 31, denied the offences however a jury found him guilty following a trial.

He met one of the women after a night out in Cheltenham and then he raped and sexually assaulted her at his home.

The court heard how the victim had pretended to be asleep, hoping that Hutchinson would stop, and when he realised she was awake, he stopped raping her.

He also raped and sexually assaulted another woman at his home on a separate occasion.

Following a week-long trial at Cirencester Courthouse last month (February 2024), he was found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault. The crimes happened in 2021.

Hutchinson, of Alma Close, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday, March 8, to six years imprisonment for each count of rape, to run consecutively, and 54 months for each count of sexual assault, to run concurrently.

As well as being jailed for 12 years, Hutchinson will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

The court heard how Hutchinson's defence was that what took place was consensual.

One of the victims said in a statement that she supported the case getting to court "for all women".

She added: "I did this for all women and our collective pain body, I did it for the women who have been silenced, I did it for women whose case didn't make it past reporting. I did it for the other girl in this case. I did it for my friends, my sisters, my mother, my future daughter, my neighbour. I did this for everyone, but most importantly, for once, I did it for me."

Her statement continued: "The lack of remorse, the lack of accountability and the lack of empathy shown by him makes me angry because of the years I have suffered. Not to mention the years of emotional work I will have to do to ease this trauma for years and years to come."

The other victim described in her statement how she became depressed after Hutchinson raped her, and that she had made an attempt to end her life.

She added: "What Daniel did to me will never go away and I will never forget what happened, but I am content in the knowledge that he will now have [to] pay for his actions. I hope that he will learn and reflect about his behaviour towards women and learn not to take advantage of a female when she is so drunk that she cannot consent."

Investigating officer DC Faye Brewster said: "Both of the victims in this case have shown huge levels of bravery, not only in making their initial reports to police, but also for having the courage to give evidence in court.

"Their personal statements paint the very honest picture of the effects these offences have had on their lives. I would like to praise them both for their strength and resilience throughout this process and thank them for working with the police in order to bring a dangerous offender to justice."

Detective Inspector Rory Ainslie, from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, said: "Hutchinson's conviction is the result of successful joined-up working from agencies across the criminal justice system.

"We are transforming the way we handle sexual assault cases through this partnership approach, ensuring victims are supported throughout the process.

"Allegations of rape and sexual offences are treated extremely seriously, and we investigate them with the utmost sensitivity. We will believe you, listen and support you throughout every step of the investigation.

"I would also like to commend the victims in this case for coming forward and supporting the prosecution. They have described in very honest detail the impact that this horrific offence has had on them and their families. Their courage and resilience, together with the dedication of investigating officer DC Brewster, has ensured that we have achieved a positive outcome."

Suzanna Butler of the CPS South West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: "This case has resulted in the conviction of a predatory and opportunistic sexual offender. The patience, courage and tenacity of the victims in supporting this prosecution has been key in the conviction of Mr Hutchinson. I would like to thank the police investigative team, my CPS colleagues, and everyone whose dedication and hard work has brought this case to a successful conclusion and delivered justice for the victims.

"The CPS is working closely with our partners across the criminal justice system to transform the way we handle rape cases, increase the number of successful prosecutions, and support victims through the prosecution process. I hope that successful prosecutions like this will encourage other victims of sexual offences to feel confident in reporting what happened to them."

If you have experienced rape, sexual assault or abuse, and wish to report the crime, contact police by calling 101 or 999 in the case of an emergency. You can also report sexual offences online here.

Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre support women dealing with the effects of rape and sexual abuse. For more information visit their website www.glosrasac.org/ 

If you are having suicidal thoughts or need someone to talk to, you can contact Samaritans, free, 24/7, on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org