Isle of Wight man jailed for 15 years for rape and coercive controlling behaviour in Gosport

A 28 year-old man has been jailed for 15 years for coercive controlling behaviour and raping a 25 year-old woman at an address in Gosport.

Connor Richard Barnes of no fixed address on the Isle of Wight appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 18 January, where a jury found him guilty of two charges of rape and coercive controlling behaviour, which took place between January 2020 and March 2022.

Following the verdict, he was remanded in custody until appearing again at the court on Tuesday 12 March, where he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Leanne Boyd said “This is an excellent result and we are very pleased that we have been able to help the victim see the justice she deserves. We commend her not only for her bravery in coming forward, but also for continuing to support the investigation throughout.

“We hope that these results reflect the seriousness with which we take all reports of sexual assault and coercive controlling behaviour, and that we will put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases.”

We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault or abusive behaviour of any kind to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.

We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced. Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.

For information and contact details relating to sexual abuse support services, you can visit our dedicated web page here