Man jailed for assault on woman in Norwich

 

 

 

A man described as ‘continually violent towards women’ by a judge has been jailed for three years following an assault which left his victim with multiple injuries.

Roche Henry, 48, of no fixed abode, has been sentenced at Norwich Crown Court today (12 April 2024) to three years in prison for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and given an indefinite restraining order to prevent any contact with the victim.

The judge in the case told the court following sentencing that Henry had carried out an ‘unprovoked attack on a defenceless victim’ and that it was ‘there but for the grace of God he did not cause serious injury’.

The court heard that on 7 October 2023, Henry turned up at the victim’s address after being released from prison.

Henry had knocked on the victim’s door, waking her up. She answered the door and went to a shop with him so she was not alone. He was verbally abusive to her at this stage.

The court heard that as they approached a bus stop at Humbleyard in Norwich Henry demanded the victim take her tights off and was becoming aggressive and shouting.

A friend of the victim walked past and challenged Henry’s behaviour. She left with her friend, but when she returned home, Henry was waiting and carried out the assault, hitting her head causing her to fall against a wall, sustaining injuries to her face, head and back.

When a man walked past she took the opportunity to run to her friend’s address. The victim reported the incident to police the following day.

A victim impact statement was read out in court by the prosecutor, which stated that the assault had meant she had lost confidence and become hyper vigilant, looking behind her and that she suffered from panic attacks.

Detective Inspector Duncan Woodhams said: “These kinds of assaults can have a profound impact on the victims. Not only do they suffer the physical injuries but can carry the psychological repercussions into the rest of their lives. This sentence goes some way to gain some justice for the woman who endured the assault. We would like to commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward.”

Anyone who has experienced abuse can call Norfolk Constabulary on 999 in an emergency or 101 to report a non-urgent crime.

Crimestoppers: Contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org