A 33-year-old man who raped and sexually assaulted a woman has been jailed for five years.
Segun ‘Michael’ Ogundipe, of Tuffley Lane in Gloucester, denied the offences, but following a trial in May a jury found him guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault and assault by penetration.
The court heard that in 2022 Ogundipe met the woman at her place of work and during their first meeting he asked her to go out for a drink with him.
She agreed and arranged to meet him after work the next day; texting him beforehand to make it clear that she was just getting to know him.
The following evening, Ogundipe picked the woman up in his car and they went to a bar. Throughout the course of the night Ogundipe began to sexualise the conversation, which made her feel uncomfortable.
Ogundipe then suggested he drive them to a different location to continue their evening. On the way there, he stopped at his house, saying he needed to get something from inside.
The victim needed to use the toilet and after she left the bathroom, Ogundipe sexually assaulted her and raped her.
He then drove her to an address in Cheltenham.
Even as he was driving, Ogundipe continued to try and touch the victim, who repeatedly told him to stop.
Due to the nature of his driving, Ogundipe was stopped by Gloucestershire Police officers who were on routine patrol. When the vehicle was stationary at the roadside, the victim took the opportunity to leave his car; initially telling officers that she wanted to go to a nearby family address and did not want to deal with what had happened to her. She then walked away.
Noticing how distressed and upset she was, an officer caught up with the victim who then disclosed that Ogundipe had raped her.
Ogundipe was arrested on suspicion of rape and taken into custody where he was subsequently charged with two counts of sexual assault, assault by penetration and rape.
The court was told that Ogundipe denied raping the victim and instead he claimed that she had initiated sexual activity and she had fully consented to having sexual intercourse with him.
The jury did not agree with his version of events and found him guilty.
In mitigation, the court heard that Ogundipe was of previous good character. His Honour Judge Lowe also took his positive character references into account before sentencing him at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday 21 July.
As well as being jailed for five years, Nigerian-born Ogundipe, who came to the UK to study in 2021, will be subject to deportation as a result of committing a serious offence here.
In a statement read out in court, the victim described to Ogundipe how being raped by him has impacted her life.
She said: “It is still crazy to me to think how your words and your actions have made me question my worth entirely. Some days what you did to me plays over and over in my head. What you did was vile and one of the worst things you could do to someone.
“I spent so long believing that I must have deserved what you did to me but I know now that you had no right to the rights of my body. Every single part of my life paused. I had to leave my job, a job that I loved deeply because I couldn’t cope.
“I became scared to meet new people, to even smile at someone out of fear that it would be taken the wrong way. I lost my spark and even now I’m still only starting to heal.”
Following Ogundipe’s sentencing the victim said: “I would encourage anyone who has experienced something similar to what I did to report it to the police. It doesn’t matter if you feel ashamed or if you feel you are somehow to blame. You will be believed and supported.”
Investigating officer Detective Constable Jon Furse said: “Ogundipe’s actions that night have caused serious harm and will have a lasting impact for the victim. I would like to commend her for the courage she has shown throughout this investigation.
“We are dedicated to ensuring sexual offenders are held accountable for their horrific crimes and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of rape or other sexual assaults to please come forward and speak to police.”
To report a rape call 999 in an emergency or report by calling 101 or online: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/
Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre provide support for all victims and survivors of sexual violence, for more information visit: https://www.glosrasac.org/
