Man jailed for six years for rape and sexual assault of woman he met in a Margate bar

JAILED: Keiran Champion

A  man has been jailed for six years on a charge of raping a woman he had met at a bar in Margate.

Kieran Champion met the woman in Margate in July 2018 before they went back to his home in Merchants Way, Canterbury.

During the evening, the victim told Champion he wasn’t her type and rebuffed his advances. She told police she then went to sleep on a chair but woke up to find Champion raping her.

The woman left the property and called Kent Police, who arrested Champion on the same day.

During his trial the court heard that forensic evidence undermined Champion’s claims he had not raped the woman and he was charged with rape and a sexual assault.

The 28-year-old was convicted of both offences on Monday September 20, following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court. He was jailed by the court for a total of six years on Monday (October 4).

Investigating officer Detective Constable Matthew Herriott said: “Kent Police takes violence against women extremely seriously and is committed to bringing those who commit sexual offences like those in this case before the courts.

“These offences will have a long-term impact on the victim and this was made worse by Champion’s refusal to admit his crimes, leading to a trial. I hope the sentence now handed down gives the victim a sense that justice has been done.

“I urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact Kent Police as soon as possible. We’ll take steps to keep you safe and act to make sure offenders cannot harm others.”