Winson Benta, 59, with no fixed address, has been sentenced to five years in prison after committing a brutal sexual assault in Upton. The Reading Crown Court found him guilty of sexual assault, actual bodily harm (ABH), and ABH with intent on 28 August, following a five-day trial.
He returned to the same court on 13 November to receive his sentence and has now been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.
On the evening of 30 January 2019, between 7.30pm and 7.45pm, Benta targeted a woman in her thirties in St Mary’s churchyard, Church Street, Slough. He knocked her unconscious before sexually assaulting her. A passing stranger interrupted the attack, preventing further harm to the victim.
Benta was arrested on 6 March after Thames Valley Police matched his DNA to evidence found at the crime scene. He was charged the following day.
Detective Constable Jessica Lawson praised the victim’s bravery throughout the investigation. She said, “This was a targeting of a lone female at night in the churchyard where she was grabbed, dragged across the ground and sexually assaulted.”
DC Lawson added, “The judge described the attack as prolonged, persistent and humiliating. Benta’s story was completely rejected by the jury.”
“We will leave no stone unturned to bring violent offenders like Benta to justice,” she said.
Thames Valley Police have pledged to continue supporting victims with dignity and respect while intensifying efforts to crack down on sexual offenders. DC Lawson expressed hope that the sentence provides the victim with some closure and reassures the local community that justice has been served.
Originally published by UKNIP.
