Benjamin Wilson

Benjamin Wilson, 36, of Norwood Avenue, Chesterfield, was found guilty of three counts of rape and one count of false imprisonment following an attack on a vulnerable woman in Manchester city centre in June 2022.

The victim had been on a night out with friends when she became separated from the group. Police said she and a friend believed their drinks had been tampered with, leaving her "extremely vulnerable and intoxicated". Wilson spotted the woman near a takeaway and took advantage of her condition by guiding her into a taxi before repeatedly raping her at a flat in Manchester.

The following morning, Wilson dropped her near the hotel where she had been due to stay with her friend. She reported the incident shortly afterwards and Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation. Detectives spent hundreds of hours analysing witness accounts, financial and phone data, intelligence checks and overcoming cross-force barriers before tracking Wilson down in Derbyshire.

Wilson was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison. DC Phillip Sargeant said: "I am awestruck not only by the courage of the victim in coming forward, but also by her patience and resilience in waiting for justice. The impact on her, her family and her support network has been profound. I hope today's sentence provides some measure of closure and enables them to move on from this traumatic experience."

Footage shows officers ordering Wilson out of the shower before arresting him on suspicion of rape, as he emerges wearing only a towel. He was later photographed with a smile on his face while in custody.