Jail for man who broke into Kingsbridge home and sexually assaulted woman as she lay in bed

A 33-year-old man who entered a stranger's house on Boxing Day last year and sexually assaulted a woman as she lay in her bed has been sent to prison for almost two years.

Luke Edwards, of Kingsbridge, has been jailed for a total of 22 months at Plymouth Crown Court on 29 July (Friday) after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

The court heard how in the early hours of Monday 26 December 2021, Edwards entered the property in Kingsbridge and got into bed with the occupier.

He went on to sexually assault her. The woman woke up and alerted her partner who was in the bed next to her. Edwards fled the scene and was arrested shortly after and charged with sexual assault.

DC Emma Dobson, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “It is chilling that a young woman was sexually assaulted in her own home whilst asleep in bed.

"Edwards took the opportunity to gain entry during the early hours of the morning and sexually assaulted the victim.

“Whilst crimes of this nature are rare, we want to reassure the public that all efforts will be made to bring offenders to justice for offences of this nature.

“Violence against women and girls is taken extremely seriously by Devon and Cornwall Police. We commend the victim’s resilience and support throughout the investigation, and we urge any victims to please come forward and talk to us.

“We have specially trained officers who work closely with partner organisations to provide support to victims and witnesses through every step of the process, from the time or reporting right thought to the trial and beyond.”