A Thatto Heath Rapist, Lennox Smith, from St Helens, has been sentenced to six years and nine months for committing serious sexual offences against a lady.
Lennox Smith, 24, of Upland Road, Thatto Heath, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, August 1, after pleading guilty to two counts of rape and sexual assault.
The incidents transpired during May and June 2023 at a location in St Helens.
In addition to a prison sentence, Lennox Smith received an indefinite Restraining Order prohibiting contact with the victim and is permanently registered as a Sex Offender.
In a Victim Personal Statement (VPS), the woman said: “This has had a huge impact on my life. My whole life got destroyed. I had no control over my life or my body. I was disrespected to the highest levels. Physically I have never felt so weak in my whole life. Even though I have support from family and RASA (Rape and Sexual Abuse Support) and the officers on my case, I have never felt so alone and trapped in my own thoughts. My family tell me I’m different now and I’m not the same happy person that I used to be.
“I’m trying to accept there are parts of me I will never get back and trying my best to focus on each day as it comes. I’m ready to take my life back. I’m ready to become the best strongest version of myself I possibly can. I’m ready to focus on rebuilding my life properly again and finding myself again. I’m ready to put Lennox Smith in the past.”
Detective Sergeant Bob Sandham, who led on the case, said: “I would firstly like to commend the victim for having the courage to report these offences and I hope the sentencing of Lennox Smith provides her with some comfort.
“This has been a complex and lengthy investigation, but thankfully we were able to provide enough evidence that Lennox Smith had no choice but to admit what he’d done.
“I hope today’s result shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated in Merseyside and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.
“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.
“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us.
“We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”
Anyone with information or wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, you can access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services.
These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it.
If you do decide to report to Merseyside Police, you will receive support throughout the investigation and court processes.
You can choose to make an anonymous report through the Sexual Assault Referral Centre called Safe Place, or the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service, rather than coming directly to Merseyside Police.
With no police involvement, a specialist doctor at Safe Place can examine you to check that you are ok and look for DNA evidence, which they will store to support your case. This gives you the option of making a formal police report at a later time, if you choose to.
Support is also available in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, from Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this website, 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.