Sean Martin Chikanda – photo supplied by Norfolk Constabulary

 
A 29-year-old Norwich man has been jailed for eight years after he was found guilty of raping a woman in the city.
Sean Chikanda, of Cromer Road, Norwich, denied the offence but was found guilty by a unanimous jury at Norwich Crown Court last month on 9 December 2016.

The court heard the victim, aged in her 20s, had been on a night out with friends when she became separated from them in the early hours of 5 October 2014.

She was heavily intoxicated and approached by Chikanda on Prince of Wales Road and the pair got a taxi back to his home address where she was raped.

Subsequent examination of CCTV footage showed the victim staggering and barely able to walk.

Police were contacted the following morning and the victim was taken to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for support and medical examinations.

Chikanda was sentenced on Monday to eight years’ imprisonment and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

During sentencing, the victim impact statement was read out in court, detailing how the woman was still struggling to come to terms with what happened to her.

In the statement, the victim describes feeling “panicked” in social environments and still suffers from flashbacks and nightmares.

She added: “I feel I cannot put into words the impact that this has had on me…I’ve changed the way I go about things. I no longer drink…run in the dark…or dress up.”

Investigating officer, Acting Inspector Richard Dickinson, said: “Rape is a subject which provokes strong emotions and too much alcohol can lead to issues of consent.

“In this case Chikanda took advantage of the woman’s vulnerability and her inability to consent. If someone is too drunk to consent then the answer is no.

“I hope this case demonstrates that situations which are alcohol-fuelled should not be taken advantage of as the consequences can be very serious for all involved.”