A Wiltshire rapist who left a woman suicidal has been a given a short prison sentence.
Despite 22-year-old Ben Churcher’s violent attack on his victim, he was jailed for just 28 months at Salisbury Crown Court on 31 January.
The defendant, of Muggleton Road, Amesbury, raped the woman in 2020 – and she lived in silence for a year before reporting the incident to the police in 2021.
During this year, the victim thought about suicide and felt as though she couldn’t talk to anyone about what had happened.
In a 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.
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.”
Alongside the short custodial term, he must register has a sex offender for ten years. A restraining order prohibitions contact with the victim for five years.
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.”
