FRIDAY UGURU SENTENCED IN CORNWALL FOR ATTEMPTED RAPE OF 12-YEAR-OLD IN AXMINSTER
A man accused of committing a heinous sexual assault that devastated a young girl’s life has been formally sentenced to prison.Friday Uguru, a sex offender with no fixed residence, was convicted of attempting to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl in the town of Axminster, Devon, in November 2017.
Uguru, aged 50, previously resided on Pinhoe Road in Exeter but was not living at a fixed address at the time of his arrest.
The incident occurred when Uguru traveled to Axminster by train on the night of the attack, entering an upstairs bedroom where the young girl was alone.
The court heard that the girl’s mother was downstairs engaged in cooking, unaware of the danger lurking upstairs.
During the assault, Uguru attempted to carry out a sexual act on the girl.
However, she managed to escape before he could complete his assault and ran downstairs to alert her family and call for help.
The jury was informed that Uguru’s actions were interrupted by her escape, preventing a full act of rape.
Following his arrest, Uguru was initially detained but subsequently fled Devon while under investigation, making his way to London.
It was not until February 2023 that he was rearrested in the capital city.
Despite denying the charge of attempted rape, Uguru was found guilty by a jury earlier this year.
In court, the victim delivered a powerful statement, describing how the attempted assault had profoundly affected her life.
She said, “It was like a bomb that went off in my life.
It messed up my whole world.
I did not think I would make it past 14.
You have ruined my life.” Her words underscored the lasting trauma inflicted by Uguru’s actions, which she said led her down a path of drug abuse, self-harm, and suicide attempts.
Judge Exeter Crown Court sentenced Uguru to nine years and six months in prison.
Additionally, he received a one-year extension to his license period.
The court also ordered that, upon completion of his sentence, Uguru would be deported from the UK, as he was in the country illegally after overstaying his visitor’s visa from Nigeria.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that Uguru was rearrested in London and that he had denied the attempted rape charge, though the jury’s verdict was in favor of guilt.
Detective Constable Jonathan Stephens, from the local safeguarding team, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, emphasizing the bravery of the victim and witnesses.
He stated, “I welcome the result and I am grateful for the courage and resilience shown by the victim and witnesses in this case, and for supporting this investigation over a protracted period of time.
I hope this case reassures the community how seriously the police take reports of child sexual offences and gives people the courage to come forward in future.”
