Stephen Hammond

Stephen Hammond, a 59-year-old carpenter and landlord from Norwich, has been jailed for 15 years after being convicted of sexually assaulting three vulnerable women. The assaults occurred between 2016 and 2019, targeting women living in sheltered housing with histories of alcohol or drug abuse and mental health issues. Hammond befriended these women, providing them with money, food, and a supposed place of safety, before luring them to his home in Dereham Road where he exploited their vulnerability.

Norwich Crown Court heard that in two instances, the women were unconscious when Hammond assaulted them, and on one occasion, he video recorded the attack. The victims, aged 40 and 51, were described by Judge Antony Bate as 'particularly vulnerable'. One woman was so traumatised by the trial that she relapsed into alcohol abuse after achieving sobriety. Hammond was found guilty following a retrial in April of three charges: sexual assault by penetration, sexual assault for groping the naked breasts of one victim, and voyeurism.

During sentencing on 1st June 2022, Judge Bate branded Hammond a 'high risk' dangerous offender, stating the assaults were planned rather than opportunistic. 'You knew where these women were to be found and you lured them back,' the judge told Hammond, who showed no emotion in the dock. The judge emphasised the profound and long-lasting effects on the victims and noted Hammond's high risk to the general public, specifically adult women.

Mitigating, Sally Hobson argued that Hammond had long friendships with some victims and had helped them, denying evidence of spiking drinks. However, the court imposed an extended sentence of 15 years, comprising 12 years in prison and three years on licence. The case was reported by the Norwich Evening News, with details from Norfolk Constabulary.