Macclesfield man sentenced for attempted rape and sexual assault

The incident took place on 2 January 2015 when Preece, having befriended the 23-year-old victim, had accompanied her to a local supported accommodation premise where she was temporarily resident.

Within half an hour Preece had subjected the victim to a serious sexual assault whilst she was severely intoxicated within a communal area of the property. Unbeknownst to Preece, his act had not only been caught on security cameras, but witnessed by a member of staff who was remotely monitoring the footage.

The witness reported the incident to Cheshire Police and then proceeded to attend the address and attempted to detain Preece. After a short struggle, Preece escaped, but was arrested within forty minutes by Cheshire Police and later charged and remanded in custody to await trial.

Following the sentencing Detective Inspector Clare Coleman from the Cheshire Constabulary Dedicated Rape Unit said: “The nature of this man′s crimes cannot be underestimated. He sinisterly attacked his victim, preying on her vulnerability through drink.

“The victim will live with this for the rest of her life, but she is being supported by specialists from a partner agency. The strength of evidence presented to the court undoubtedly led Preece to plead guilty.

“Rape and sexual assaults are amongst the most traumatic of crimes. We want victims to be assured that we are here to help. Anyone who has been subjected to this type of crime should feel confident that they will receive the support they need from the Dedicated Rape Unit and other support agencies we work alongside.

“Foremost, any victim of a crime such as this will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated, with the needs of the victim as our main priority.”