DAVID GORDON HOWSE SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON IN EASTLEIGH FOR RAPE

A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to raping a 24-year-old woman. David Gordon Howse, 33, of The Quadrangle, admitted to the crime committed between 11:30 pm on January 8, 2019, and the early hours of January 9, 2019.

The victim was walking through a car park area located between Beaulieu Road and Selbourne Drive in Eastleigh when Howse approached her. He subsequently followed her into an alleyway in Whyteways, where the assault occurred.

Howse was arrested nearly a year later in late December 2019, and he was formally charged with rape in July 2020. Today, at Southampton Crown Court, he was sentenced to seven years in prison and was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Inspector Gareth Jones of Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone team described the crime as "truly harrowing." He stated, "I would like to pay tribute to the victim for the courage she has shown throughout the investigation; we understand it is not always easy for victims to have to re-live an already terrifying ordeal."

He added, "Hampshire Constabulary is dedicated to getting justice for victims and ensuring Eastleigh is a safe place to live. I hope this sentence today goes some way to giving the woman closure and reassures her, and the communities in Hampshire, that justice has been served. "