Man jailed for raping woman in Christchurch while holding replica firearm to her head

A man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty of holding a replica firearm to a woman’s head and raping her.Neil Glover, aged 47 and of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 8 January 2021 after being found guilty at an earlier trial of two counts of rape, having a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and assault by penetration.Glover had made contact with the victim, a woman aged in her 50s, to book a massage appointment at her address in Christchurch on Monday 10 February 2020. During the massage Glover forcibly touched the victim inappropriately without her consent.

She managed to stop Glover, to which he then immediately apologised.Following further apologies from Glover, he asked for another appointment that was eventually agreed to by the victim. He visited her address again two days later on Wednesday 12 February. During the appointment, when the victim had her back to him, Glover pulled out what she believed to be a gun and held it to her head.The defendant forced her to perform oral sex on him before raping her.

Detective Constable Tom Bancroft, of Bournemouth CID, said: “Neil Glover subjected his victim to what must have been a truly horrifying sexual attack, using what she believed to be a genuine firearm.“She suffered a horrific ordeal at the hands of this defendant that he then compounded by continuing to deny his offending and taking the matter to trial.“I would like to praise the victim for the strength she has shown throughout – from coming forward initially, through to supporting the investigation and giving evidence for the trial."As well as being sentenced to 18 years in jail, Glover will also be subject to an extended licence period of a further seven years.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period.