A 53-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment at Nottingham Crown Court after admitting to the sustained sexual abuse and rape of a highly vulnerable woman over a four-year period.
Darren Wingrove, formerly of Nottinghamshire and now of Charles Street, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, appeared for sentence on Friday 16 October 2026 following an extensive inquiry conducted by Nottinghamshire Police’s rape and serious sexual offences team.
The prosecution outlined that the offending took place between January 2013 and December 2016 across Nottinghamshire. Over that period, Wingrove targeted a highly vulnerable woman, subjecting her to repeated sexual assaults and penetrative rapes. The abuse came to the attention of law enforcement when the victim disclosed the offences to a paramedic, prompting emergency medical staff to alert the police.
Specialist detectives initiated an investigation, gathering evidential statements and piecing together the timeline of abuse. Wingrove entered formal guilty pleas to two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault.
Detective Sergeant Alan Braisby, from Nottinghamshire Police’s rape and serious sexual offences team, said:
“This was predatory and degrading sexual abuse targeting an extremely vulnerable woman. Wingrove is a bully who believed he could conceal his offending because of the victim’s vulnerabilities.
“She, by contrast, has been both brave and resilient during interviews with police and during court proceedings. This case has faced a number of unforeseen delays, but I hope after these years of turmoil in her life, this outcome in court will help her to rebuild her life.
“I also hope the sentencing of Wingrove will further encourage other victims of rape and sexual abuse to come forward and report offenders. Our experienced officers are here to support the victims of appalling crimes like this.”
Passing sentence on Friday 16 October 2026, the Crown Court judge addressed the predatory nature of the conduct, the prolonged duration of the offending, and the significant breach of trust involved in targeting a vulnerable victim. The judge handed Wingrove an immediate custodial sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment. Under statutory release provisions for serious sexual offences, Wingrove will be required to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence in custody before being eligible for consideration for release on licence by the Parole Board.
The court also imposed an indefinite restraining order prohibiting Wingrove from contacting the victim, placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and permanently barred him from working with children or vulnerable adults.
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