Two Southampton Paedophiles, Damian Andre Martin and Gurdev Singh Rathore, have been sentenced to imprisonment today for the rape and sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl in Southampton in December 2024.
Damian Andre Martin, 48, of Millbrook Road West, was sentenced to 14 years in prison at Southampton Crown Court today (Friday, 25 April) for rape, sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration, assault by beating, and unlawfully taking a child to prevent them from being with a person having lawful control. Martin will receive a five-year extended licence and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the Sex Offender Register for life.
Gurdev Singh Rathore, 50, of Milton Road, appeared in court where he was sentenced to four and a half years of imprisonment for sexual assault and for inducing a female aged 13 or older to participate in non-penetrative sexual conduct. Gurdev Singh Rathore will be mandated to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be registered on the Sex Offender’s Register for the duration of his life.
On Friday, December 27, police received a report indicating that overnight from Thursday, December 26, to Friday, December 27, a girl was raped by one guy and sexually attacked by a second man at a location in the St Mary’s area, both of whom she had encountered that evening.
The girl stated that she encountered the two men while going down St. Mary Street. Shortly thereafter, Martin perpetrated rape and sexual assault against her. She was thereafter transported to a location on Chapel Road when Rathore perpetrated a sexual assault against her.
Damian Andre Martin and Gurdev Singh Rathore both admitted admission to the charges and have been sentenced to a cumulative total of 18.5 years in prison.
During sentencing, His Honour Judge Christopher Parker stated to Damian Andre Martin and Gurdev Singh Rathore: “The detention of her in such dreadful circumstances must have been unimaginably traumatic for her loved ones, but for her, as a 13-year-old child, to have been raped and subsequently taken to a flat, where she was further sexually abused by both of you, must have been – as she articulates – utterly horrific, and she was in fear for her life.”
He informed Martin that his conduct was so Damian Andre Martin that he could not be deemed safe among young, vulnerable youngsters.
Police Staff Investigator Rebecca Stevens of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Western Child Abuse Investigation Team, who led the investigation, said: “We are pleased with this sentence today, which comes following a complex and lengthy investigation. Many detectives, officers and police staff have worked hard to secure justice for the victim in this case, and it is thanks to the overwhelming evidence against Damian Andre Martin and Gurdev Singh Rathore that they had no choice but to plead guilty.
“Above all else, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the victim – without her courage and support throughout the course of this investigation we would not have secured these guilty pleas and this sentence today.
“The actions of Rathore and Martin were incredibly predatory and extremely concerning, and we are pleased that these two dangerous individuals will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison for what they have done.
“There is support available to children who have experienced, or are experiencing, sexual abuse in any form. We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police straight away, but there are other support services available that you can access.”
We encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault or rape to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.
We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced. Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 for advice and support. If you are concerned about a child then you can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email help@nspcc.org.uk
For those in Southampton, Yellow Door, a local charity, can also offer you a range of help and support. You can visit their website at yellowdoor.org.uk or contact them on 023 8063 6312.
For information and contact details relating to sexual abuse support services, you can visit our dedicated web page: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.