A 60-year-old man from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of repeatedly raping a vulnerable woman. Vernon Steele, residing in the Northway area, targeted a woman with significant learning difficulties whom he befriended in June 2023. Initially presenting himself as a helpful neighbour, Steele visited her regularly, claiming to assist with household chores and provide companionship. However, his intentions soon turned exploitative.
The court at Gloucester Crown Court heard that in July 2023, Steele showed the woman a video of himself masturbating and pornography on his phone, which she explicitly told him she did not want to see. Undeterred, a few days later, he raped her in her bedroom. Over the subsequent ten days, Steele returned to her home and raped her on three more occasions, ignoring her protests each time. The assaults came to light when a neighbour discovered the woman distressed and crying in her flat. She bravely disclosed the four instances of rape to the neighbour, stating that she had said 'no' every time.
Gloucestershire Constabulary officers responded promptly, speaking with the victim and arresting Steele on suspicion of rape. During his initial interview, Steele denied any sexual activity with the woman and was released on police bail pending further enquiries. In December 2023, following a thorough investigation by the force's Criminal Investigation Department, Steele was re-interviewed and confronted with forensic evidence corroborating the woman's account. He then altered his story, admitting to one instance of consensual intercourse but denying the others.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges for four counts of rape. Steele appeared in court but was granted bail. He failed to attend a hearing at Gloucester Crown Court on 22 November 2024, prompting a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest. Gloucestershire Police issued a public appeal via social media, leading to sightings in the Newent area. Steele was re-arrested on 20 December 2024 and remanded in custody.
At trial, Steele had pleaded not guilty to all charges, but on Monday 16 June 2025, a jury unanimously convicted him after just 34 minutes of deliberation. Sentencing him to eight years' imprisonment, Judge Rupert Lowe remarked: 'You conceived that this vulnerable woman might be an outlet for your sexual frustrations. You showed her sexual video material on your phone but she didn't want to see it. You were not to be deterred by her lack of enthusiasm for this and you got her into her own bedroom and removed her lower clothing and had sexual intercourse without her consent which is an offence of rape.' In addition to the custodial sentence, Steele was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
Detective Constable Jon Furse, the investigating officer from Gloucestershire Constabulary, stated: 'Steele raped the woman multiple times. He knew she was extremely vulnerable, and she had repeatedly told him no, but he ignored her and raped her. He subjected her to horrific crimes that will impact her for the rest of her life. Even though he denied the multiple charges of rape, the wealth of evidence we presented to the court meant his lies were uncovered with the jury returning a guilty verdict for all four counts in just 34 minutes.' The case underscores the force's commitment to supporting victims of sexual offences through specialised investigations and victim care.