Man convicted of raping woman in Gosport

A man has been convicted of raping a woman in a car park in Gosport.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard that police were called to the commercial car park near The Anchorage at around 1.40am on 27 August 2020 after witnesses described hearing a woman crying for help.

Officers attended and spoke to the woman, aged in her 20s, who was found by members of the public in a distressed state.

She told police that she had been physically assaulted and then raped by a man known to her.

Police subsequently arrested and charged 35-year-old Levi Seriki-Walters, of no fixed abode, with rape.

The court heard that Seriki-Walters had been seen on CCTV chasing the woman from the scene, and forensic enquiries supported that he had raped the woman.

Despite the evidence put to him, he denied the offence and the case went to trial on Monday 4 April this year.

On Tuesday 12 April, the jury found Seriki-Walters guilty after deliberating for approximately two and a half hours.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on Tuesday 10 May for sentencing.

We encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse to report this to police on 101.

For more information on where to seek independent support as a survivor of sexual offences, you can visit our website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/