Amesbury man jailed for sexually assaulting woman in her own home
Ben Churcher, 22, will spend at least a year in prison
An Amesbury man has been handed a sentence of more than two years for sexually assaulting a woman in her own home.
22-year-old Ben Churcher, of Muggleton Road in Amesbury, attacked his victim in 2020, but she stayed silent for a year before reporting incident to Wiltshire Police.
She has been praised for her bravery in coming forward.
In a statement read out in court, the woman said: "I felt dirty in my own skin and couldn't handle feeling so alone anymore.
"My family suffered too - they worry about me and my future. They worry about leaving me at home."
During her time of silence, the victim revealed she had contemplated suicide and felt unable to speak to about what she had been through.
Churcher was found guilty in November following a trial, which brought all the trauma back for the woman, who found herself unable to sleep, focus and work during that time.
She said: "I have spent years in fear that Ben would come after me due to his threats.
"I repeatedly had his friends and family call me a liar and I felt like I couldn't step outside my house most days.
"Ben spent so long telling me that no-one would ever believe me but I finally feel I now have closure and people know the truth."
Churcher has been placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and a restraining order prohibits him from contacting the victim for five years. He'll spend at least half of his sentence in prison.
Detective Constable Deborah Laycock said she hoped this case would convince others to speak out too.
She said: "I'd like to thank the victim in this case for showing an enormous amount of bravery and fortitude throughout the process of bringing Churcher to justice.
“Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence is urged to report it to us. We will help you and continue to put perpetrators before the courts."
The Force says it understands reporting such an offence can be difficult, but insists officers and partner organisations are here to listen and support victims however they can.
They're encouraging people to speak out, saying it can bring justice and help keep everyone safe.