Serial rapist attacked women in their sleep in Essex and Manchester

A man who raped two women in their sleep and then "tried to cover up his actions" has been jailed for 13 years.

Shelton Tapfumaneyi, 24, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court following a joint investigation by Essex Police and Greater Manchester Police.

The 24-year-old, from Oxford, was first arrested by Greater Manchester Police in April 2019, after a woman reported that she had been raped following a night out in the city centre.

After being charged and released on bail, he came to Essex Police’s attention in August 2020 after a woman contacted them online to reveal that she had been raped in Basildon.

He was charged with one count of rape against a woman over 16 but a decision was then made to join both charges together for the trial, which finished last September with a guilty verdict.

Detective Constable Patrick Snape, from Essex Police said: “In both cases, the victims were asleep and woke up to Tapfumaneyi raping them.

"He targeted two women at their most vulnerable and then tried to cover up his actions by repeatedly saying that both women had consented.

"Survivors of sexual assault are often lead to believe that it’s the perpetrators word against theirs and they may be worried that they won’t be believed by their peers, family or the police.

"I can assure anyone who is a survivor of sexual abuse and hasn’t been able to come forward yet that you will be believed, and we will always investigate your case.

"I commend the bravery of both victims in this case for keeping strong throughout the investigation process. I hope that this result provides them with some closure on what they have been through.”  

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