In 2021, the Offender Database confirmed that Nicholas John Wells, then 29, of Eyres Way, Salisbury, Wiltshire, was jailed for a predatory and planned sexual assault. The attack took place just after midnight on May 19, 2019, in the Hudson’s Field area. The court heard that Wells had specifically identified his victim, a woman in her 30s, days prior to the assault. He forced entry into a nearby premises before pinning the woman to the floor and sexually assaulting her by penetration, followed by a violent physical assault where he punched and kicked her.
The investigation into the “traumatic” incident lasted nearly two years. Despite Wells fleeing the scene, Wiltshire Police utilised DNA evidence sampling technology, which eventually matched Wells to samples recovered from the victim’s clothing. Before his capture, Wells had already been dealt with by the courts for a separate sexual assault committed just four months after the Salisbury attack, where a different victim had to leap from a moving vehicle to escape him. The prosecutor, Ms Coombe, noted that the survivor “struggles every day” and feels isolated due to the significant impact on her life.
Wells, who has appeared in court 35 times for various offences, was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court to six years in prison. Judge Andrew Barnett also imposed a four-year extended license period, meaning Wells will be under strict supervision for a total of ten years. The judge expressed grave concern regarding the risk Wells poses to the public, dismissing mitigation regarding the defendant’s “low IQ” and substance abuse as insufficient to overlook the calculated nature of the “dreadful sequence of events.”
As a result of his conviction for sexual assault by penetration, Wells was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which carries a specific prohibition: Wells is legally banned from entering the home of any lone female who is not a family member. These official monitoring requirements are managed by Wiltshire Police under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), ensuring that his movements and residency remain under permanent scrutiny to prevent further predatory behaviour.
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