NEWS | A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for two counts of rape and also handed a restraining order of 15 years

A man was sentenced to seven years in prison for two counts of rape at Worcester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 9 January).

Jason Harris, 37, was convicted of the two offences with seven-year terms to run concurrently and handed a restraining order of 15 years in respect of his female victim.

Harris was acquitted of a further rape charge and two sexual assault charges against a different woman and cleared of a sexual assault of a third woman.

He was ordered to be a registered sex offender for life, meaning he will have to notify the police of certain information such as his home address when he is released from prison, and he will also be managed by a specialist officer upon his release.

Detective Sergeant Gemma Birchley said: “This is a welcomed sentence which has brought Harris to justice and held him accountable for his actions.

“We have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to secure evidence and bring the case to court and this conviction would not have been possible without the bravery and resilience of the victims and witnesses in the case.

“The effective response to, and investigation of, serious sexual offences is paramount to achieving our organisational priorities, improving public confidence, and bringing offenders to justice.

“We believe in the importance of providing a voice and seeking justice on behalf of survivors.

“We recognise that ending violence against women and girls is a collective effort and we encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed such abuse to come forward, we can support and investigate cases regardless of when they happened.”