NOTTINGHAM MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS FOR RAPE AND ASSAULT
A man identified as Daniel Cooke, of no fixed address, was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison for a brutal sexual assault.The incident occurred in Mansfield town centre, where CCTV footage captured him forcibly dragging a woman into an alley and assaulting her.
Subsequently, he raped her in a car park off Regent Street in the early hours of July 19, 2015.
During the attack, Cooke threatened the victim, stating, “If you make a noise I will strangle you.” After the assault, the victim managed to escape and got into a taxi, but Cooke also entered the vehicle and instructed the driver to drop him off in Ollerton.
Cooke was arrested later that day and denied the charges during police interviews.
He was charged with two counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
Following a four-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of all charges on December 21, 2017.
He received a custodial sentence of 15 years, with a minimum of 11 years to be served, reflecting his status as a significant threat to public safety.
Additionally, Cooke was sentenced to a concurrent two-month sentence for contempt of court due to verbal abuse directed at the judge during proceedings.
Detective Constable Stuart Barson, leading the investigation, emphasized the overwhelming CCTV evidence and described the case as the most horrifying he had handled, expressing hope that the substantial sentence would aid the victim’s recovery.
