Ixworth man, 23, jailed after rape and sexual assaults in Bury St Edmunds
A 23-year-old Ixworth man will spend at least 42 months behind bars after admitting he raped a woman and sexually assaulted another.
Nathaniel Cresswell, of Thistledown Drive, was sentenced today before Ipswich Crown Court - almost five years after he committed the rape in June 2016. He sexually assaulted the second victim in May 2019. Both offences were committed in Bury St Edmunds.
Judge Emma Peters told Cresswell: “They did not consent and you persisted. They have been deeply affected by your actions.
“These were two young women who were about to start their lives and now they are looking over their shoulders.”
Cresswell had initially denied both offences but pleaded guilty in a hearing last month.
For the sexual assault he was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, of which he will serve one half. At that point a 48 month sentence will begin for the rape - of which he will serve two thirds before being eligible for parole. It means he will serve at least 42 months behind bars.
He will be on licence for the remainder of a five year sentence after being released from prison. He must pay a statutory surcharge, and will also be subject to a monitoring requirement. The total sentence adds up to five years and eight months, although he will not spend all of that time in custody.
Prosecutor Emma Nash said the victims had been left ‘feeling vulnerable’ after the crimes.
A statement from one of the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, read: “It has left me shaken and scared.”
A statement from Cresswell read: “I am extremely remorseful… I want the families to know I am really sorry and I hope one day they will find it within themselves to forgive me for what I have done.”
His representative Joanne Eley had pleaded the case for a leniency owing to his relatively young age at the time of offending, that he had no previous convictions, and for the consideration of how prison conditions may be in the pandemic.
“There is a huge deal of immaturity,” she added.
For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here.
