NATHANIEL CREDSWELL SENTENCED FOR RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT IN BURY ST EDMUNDS AND IXWORTH

A man from West Suffolk, Nathaniel Credswell, has been sentenced to over five years in prison after being found guilty of committing serious sexual offenses against two women in the towns of Bury St Edmunds and Ixworth. The crimes, which spanned a period of three years, involved the sexual assault of two women while they were asleep, leaving lasting trauma and emotional scars.

According to the details presented at Ipswich Crown Court, Credswell, aged 23 at the time of sentencing, carried out these heinous acts in different locations within Suffolk. The first incident occurred in June 2016 at a residence in Bury St Edmunds, where a young woman had fallen asleep on a bed. She awoke to find Credswell raping her, an act that she immediately reported to the police. The court heard that Credswell was arrested later that same day. During police questioning, he initially denied the allegations, attempting to dismiss the accusations.

The second incident took place in May 2019, also in Bury St Edmunds. A different young woman had returned home and fallen asleep, only to wake up and discover Credswell sexually assaulting her. A personal statement read aloud by prosecutor Emma Nash described how these traumatic events had profoundly affected the victim, turning her entire world upside down. The court was informed that one of the victims had developed panic attacks and struggled with issues of trust following the assaults, highlighting the deep psychological impact of Credswell’s actions.

Throughout the proceedings, it was revealed that Credswell was 18 years old at the time of the first offense and 21 during the second. Notably, he had no prior criminal record before these incidents. On February 1, Credswell pleaded guilty to both charges at Ipswich Crown Court, which led to the court ordering a report to assess his potential danger to the public.

During mitigation, defense lawyer Joanne Eley described Credswell as “a man who is full of remorse.” She also presented a brief statement from Credswell himself, in which he expressed regret and apologized to his victims and their families, hoping that someday they might forgive him.

Judge Emma Peters, presiding over the case, emphasized her view that Credswell posed a danger to society. As a result, she sentenced him to a total of one year and eight months in prison for the sexual assault, with the understanding that he would serve at least half of that time behind bars. Additionally, the judge imposed an extended license period of five years following his release, during which Credswell will be subject to strict supervision. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities to protect the community from further harm.