Bury man jailed for raping woman in the town

A 23-year-old man has been jailed for five years after pleading guilty to the rape of a woman in her 20s in Bury St Edmunds.

Gary Stammers, of Lake Avenue, Bury St Edmunds, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court earlier today for sentencing after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

In June this year he visited the home of the woman and forced himself on her, using physical force to rape her despite her pleading with him not to.

Officer in the case DC Matthew Ross said; “It took enormous courage for the victim to come forward to report the incident to police. Stammers was arrested soon afterwards but in interview claimed it was the victim who made him engage in sexual activity when he didn’t want to.

“He was charged with rape the same day and was remanded in custody but he initially pleaded not guilty to the offence and police time was spent gathering evidence to prove what had happened.

“On November 18, at the final review of the case prior to trial, Stammers changed his plea to guilty.

“Significant police time is taken to ensure these cases are investigated thoroughly to ensure there is evidence to secure a conviction.

“Where an offender does not take responsibility for their actions this protracts the investigation and prolongs the anxiety and fear felt by their victims so it is pleasing to see that his sentence today reflects the stage at which he entered his guilty plea.

“Anyone who has been sexually abused should feel reassured that Suffolk Police take allegations of rape and sexual assault seriously, and we will seek to support victims, with assistance from our partner agencies.”