Connor Ratcliffe

A Rugby man was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after he drugged and raped a woman in Warwick. Connor Ratcliffe, 30, of Yates Avenue, approached the victim, a woman in her 20s, while she was out in Warwick on the evening of 21 July 2023. Over the course of that evening, Ratcliffe plied her with drugs and alcohol before carrying out what a judge later described as "a sequence of predatory acts".

Ratcliffe took the woman to a secluded car park, where he raped her. Officers from Warwickshire Police swiftly arrested him, and he was later charged with two counts of rape and one count of supplying a class A controlled drug – cocaine. Although he initially denied the offences, he changed his plea at a hearing in March 2026.

On 23 April 2026, at Coventry Crown Court, Ratcliffe was sentenced to seven and a half years in custody for the rape, with a concurrent six-month sentence for the drug offence. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Detective Constable Sacha Bury, of Warwickshire Police, said: "This has been very traumatic for the victim who has shown immense bravery since the outset. Her life has been hugely impacted by what happened, but I hope knowing Ratcliffe is now behind bars will provide some comfort as she tries to come to terms with it all."

DC Bury added: "I hope his conviction also reassures other victims of sexual offences and gives them the confidence to report their ordeal knowing they will be listened to and supported. We will always investigate and do everything we can to bring offenders to justice."