Man handed life sentence after raping woman

A serial sex offender has been handed a life sentence after raping an 18-year-old woman.

Peter Neild appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday 29 January where he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 11 years, eight months, and 83 days.

The 52-year-old was found guilty following a three-day trial on Wednesday 20 December. He is already serving an indefinite prison sentence for previous sexual offences.

In 1994, Neild and the victim in this case were both part of a group who travelled to the Lake District as part of a Prince’s Trust course being delivered by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The victim said she and Neild initially got along well and there seemed to be no issues.

On the second night of the trip, she and Neild had been eating and chatting in the main communal area with the rest of the participants.

Gradually, all the other people left the room, leaving just Neild and the victim alone.

Without warning, Neild jumped on the victim and removed her trousers, before going on to rape her, despite multiple requests for him to stop.

At the time of the incident, the victim felt unable to report the offence. But in May 2022 she decided to come forward and an investigation was launched.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Helen Harrison, of Northwich CID, said:

“I welcome the sentence handed to Neild today. Although he is already in prison for previous sexual offences, I hope this latest sentence will provide some sense of closure to the victim in this case.

“I would like to again thank the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation, especially after Neild refused to take accountability for his actions and put her through the stress of a trial.

“However, thanks to the evidence that she provided, the jury found Neild guilty of rape and he is now facing the consequences.

“I hope this case will serve as a reminder that we treat all reports of historic sexual offences seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.”

To report any sexual offence call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Information can also be passed anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.