Rapist living in Harrogate jailed for life
Clifford Church, 63, has today (Thursday 5 March 2026) been sentenced at York Crown Court after pleading guilty to rape and assault
Last updated 5th Mar 2026
North Yorkshire Police says a violent rapist has been jailed for life for the rape of a vulnerable woman while he was living in Harrogate.
Clifford Church, 63, of no fixed address, was today (Thursday 5 March 2026) sentenced at York Crown Court after pleading guilty to rape and assault.
The offences took place on 7 August 2025, when Church took the victim to his flat in Harrogate. The court heard how once they were inside, he locked the door and ordered her to do everything he demanded or he would use violence against her.
North Yorkshire Police says when she refused to undress, he assaulted her, knocking her to the floor and threatened to continue using violence against her if she did not comply with what he wanted, before raping her.
The victim managed to escape his flat and ran into the corridor, frantically banging on doors and screaming for help. Church chased and grabbed her, but she was able to alert neighbours.
After the attack, Church was caught on CCTV leaving the flat in a hurry, fully dressed and carrying a backpack.
Despite police efforts to locate him, he remained at large for several weeks, before he was eventually arrested in Bradford by West Yorkshire Police.
During interview, Church admitted that the victim had been at his flat but denied raping her, before refusing to answer further questions.
Following a North Yorkshire Police investigation, Church was charged.
At York Crown Court today (Thursday 5 March 2026), Church was sentenced to life in prison and told he must serve a minimum of 12 years before being considered for release.
Detective Constable Nicky Wareham of North Yorkshire Police’s Safeguarding Investigation team said:
“I welcome the significant custodial sentence handed down today. Church is a dangerous and violent sexual predator who subjected an extremely vulnerable victim to a deeply traumatic ordeal.
“I want to commend the courage shown by the victim during this investigation. Her strength and willingness to support the investigation enabled us to gather the crucial evidence needed to secure this conviction and ensure Church is now behind bars, where he can no longer pose a threat to anyone.”