Man sentenced to six years and four months in prison for the attempted rape of a woman in Portsmouth

A Deliveroo driver has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for the attempted rape of a woman in Portsmouth in February.

Tesfagabriel Gebrzgabhir, 34, of Belmont Street, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday (26 May), having pleaded guilty to one count of attempted rape in connection with the incident, which took place on Wednesday 1 February this year.

It was reported to police that at approximately 10.15pm a woman in her 20s was approached by a man on a bicycle in the Guildhall area.

The man followed her for a short time before attempting to sexually assault her as they approached the Cenotaph. He then indecently exposed himself.

The court heard how the man, who was described as riding a distinctive neon green bicycle with a Deliveroo bag, had approached the woman who was unknown to him, and attempted to take off her clothes. The woman began filming him on her mobile phone before he cycled away.

An investigation was launched and officers began carrying out extensive CCTV scoping in the area. The court heard how detectives visited the location of the offence as part of their enquiries, and spotted a man in the area matching the description of the offender, riding a neon green bicycle with a Deliveroo bag on his back.

Due to the matching description, the man, identified as Gebrzgabhir, was arrested and later charged with sexual assault following DNA analysis.

He has now been sentenced to six years and four months in prison, with an extended licence period of four years, taking the total sentence to 10 years and four months.

Police Constable Sarah Ball of Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Police Investigation Centre, who led the investigation, said: “This was an extremely concerning and opportunistic assault on a vulnerable woman and I would like to commend the victim for her courage in disclosing what happened that night and assisting our investigation so that Gebrzgabhir could be brought to justice.

“The impact that his actions have had on the woman involved are immeasurable and I hope that this sentence helps to bring some closure and allows her to move on in her life.

“Rape and other sexual offences are one of the most devastating crimes a person can survive and that is why we prioritise it. We want to continue to encourage people to come forward if they believe that they have been a victim of sexual assault.

“We take these reports very seriously. We do not want you to suffer in silence. If you have been a victim and decide to report a rape or other sexual offences to us, we want to provide you with that reassurance that we will take it seriously. We want to inform you, empower you and support you to make choices in terms of reporting and supporting criminal investigations – working in conjunction with us – if that is what you want.”

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary are here to support you whether you're ready to report it to us or you'd prefer to talk to a support organisation. For more information please visit: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/how-to-report-rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/