A South Western Ambulance Service medic has been jailed for repeatedly raping a woman.
Charles “Charlie” Schneider was found guilty of six charges of sexual assault by touching, two of sexual assault by penetration and two charges of rape following a trial at Swindon Crown Court in February.
The 59-year-old former emergency care assistant, who worked on ambulances based out of Swindon and Malmesbury, was handed a 15-year prison sentence for his despicable crimes.
The court had earlier heard how Schneider, of Freshbrook, Swindon, subjected his victim — who he knew through his NHS role — to sexual assaults over a number of months.
Sergeant Matthew Gamble said: “Schneider’s actions have caused understandably significant amounts of stress to his victim. She has suffered with her mental health as a consequence, which has had a huge negative impact on both her private and professional life.
“I want to highlight the dignity and courage that she has maintained through this extremely distressing time.
“I hope that today’s sentencing will provide her with some closure so that she can start to rebuild her life.”
The victim, whose anonymity is protected by law for life, provided a victim personal statement to the court – describing how the horrific attacks have affected her life.
“What Charlie has done to me has massively affected my ability to trust others. I now worry about people’s motives and things like jokes and comments get to me a lot more than they ever did”, she said.
Adding: “I have noticed simple every day things are now more stressful. I recently got a taxi on my own with a male driver and I realised how uncomfortable I now felt in that situation. I am way more wary of any physical proximity to me.
“I am grateful that Charlie has been found guilty as now I can start to feel safe for the first time in years. It feels like the end of a horrific period in my life. I don’t feel it means I can move on, because it still happened and I still have to deal with it, but it does begin to help.”
