Southampton man sentenced to nine years in prison following rape in Ventnor.

Isle of Wight Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Rape

On 9 February 2019, a victim from the Isle of Wight was socializing with friends in Ventnor. Liam Morrow of Hartington Road in Southampton approached the group, which was considerably younger than him, and joined them. Throughout the day, Morrow drank coffee while the victim consumed alcohol.

The victim was later separated from the group and raped by Morrow. She stated that she did not consent to the sexual intercourse and never would have consented.

Specialist officers provided support to the victim throughout the complex investigation, which resulted in Morrow being charged with rape and assault by penetration under section 2 of the Sexual Offences Act (SOA).

On Monday, 9 August, at Isle of Wight Crown Court, Morrow was sentenced to nine years in prison for rape and seven years in prison for assault by penetration. Both sentences will be served concurrently, meaning that Morrow was jailed for a total of nine years.

Investigating officer DC Jessica Hughes said: "I hope this sentence provides some comfort to the victim that Morrow is now in prison for a considerable length of time, where he can't pose a threat to vulnerable young women. I hope that this result helps the victim to move past this distressing sexual assault, so that she can live her life safe in the knowledge that justice has been delivered by the court. I'd like to commend her for her actions throughout the investigation that have helped us to secure this outcome."

"I'd also urge all victims of sexual assault to contact us. We work tirelessly on investigations such as this to ensure that victims are supported by ourselves and partner agencies as we seek to secure convictions for these types of offenses. No-one should feel reluctant to report this kind of crime. Victims will be listened to, supported and encouraged by the police, CPS and other agencies."