Man jailed for five years after admitting attacking a woman in Winchester

A man has been jailed for five years after admitting sexually assaulting a female jogger in Winchester city centre.

Jason Chester, 43, of Campbell Way, Fair Oak, admitted two counts of assault by penetration at a previous hearing and was sentenced today (Wednesday 18 December) at Winchester Crown Court.

The court heard that Chester assaulted a woman in her 20s in St George’s Street, Winchester, at around 5am on Saturday 12 October.

The victim was on a run in the city centre when Chester grabbed her and assaulted her.

He ran off and the woman reported the incident to police later that morning. She was then supported by specialist officers.

Chester was swiftly identified through DNA enquiries and was arrested four days later on Wednesday 16 October, after he checked into a hotel at Membury Services on the M4.

Detectives also viewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to track Chester’s movements through the city centre before and after the assault.

Today, Chester was jailed for five years, with an extended period of licence of three years. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Matt Chapman said: “This was a disturbing incident in which a man sexually assaulted a woman he did not know.

“I would like to thank the woman for the courage and dedication that she has shown throughout this investigation. I hope that following today’s hearing, she can start to rebuild her life.

“I would also like to thank the team for their swift work in identifying and arresting Chester, and for their diligence in bringing Chester to justice.

“Crimes like this are thankfully rare in Winchester, but we hope that today’s result gives confidence to victims to come forward and speak to us.”