A MAN from Amesbury has been jailed for raping a woman in her own home.
Ben Churcher, 22, of Muggleton Road, Amesbury, was given a 28-month sentence on January 31 at Salisbury Crown Court.
He will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years and a restraining order prohibits him from contacting the victim for five years.
This comes after Churcher raped his victim in 2020.
She lived in silence for a year before deciding to report the attack to police in 2021.
In an emotional statement read to the court, Churcher’s victim said: “I felt dirty in my own skin and couldn’t handle feeling so alone anymore.
“My family suffered too – they worry about me and my future. They worry about leaving me at home.”
Churcher was found guilty following a trial that concluded on November 27, 2024. This trial left his victim unable to sleep, focus and work as it brought all the trauma he caused her back.
The victim said: “I have spent years in fear that Ben would come after me due to his threats.
“I repeatedly had his friends and family call me a liar and I felt like I couldn’t step outside my house most days.
“Ben spent so long telling me that no one would ever believe me, but I finally feel I now have closure and people know the truth.”
Detective Constable Deborah Laycock said: “I’d like to thank the victim in this case for showing an enormous amount of bravery and fortitude throughout the process of bringing Churcher to justice.
“Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence is urged to report it to us. We will help you and continue to put perpetrators before the courts.”
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