Man, 41, given extended prison sentence for attempted rape

A 41-year-old man has been given an extended sentence and jailed for more than four years after he tried to rape a woman in Northampton town centre.

On October 28, 2022, Destiny Chigbue, previously of Northampton, approached a woman in the Drapery just after 11.30pm and offered her £20 for sex.

The woman refused and walked away but Chigbue followed her, grabbing her around the waist and asking for her number.

She continued to refuse, shouting at him to go away, and making it clear that she didn’t want contact of any kind with him. 

But Chigbue got even more aggressive, attempting to pull her skirt down and exposing himself, ripping open her top and attempting to kiss her.

Luckily, the woman managed to run away and escape. When she got to a place of safety, she bravely called police to report the sexual assault and attempted rape.

Officers were deployed immediately and Chigbue was identified and arrested that night. He would later go on to be charged with one count of attempted rape, one count of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault and one count of attempted assault by penetration.

Following a trial at Northampton Crown Court which ended on March 13 this year, Chigbue was convicted by the jury on all counts aside from the attempted assault by penetration, of which he was found not guilty.

He returned to the same court this month (June 7), where he was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison. He was also classed as dangerous by Judge Rebecca Crane and given an extra four years on licence.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable John Cordner, said: “First of all, I want to pay tribute to the survivor in this case for her bravery. From the courage it took to call us in the first place, to the way she supported our investigation and the subsequent court process, she can be proud of the strength and resilience she has demonstrated.

“The ordeal she was subjected to at Chigbue’s hands was terrifying and I am so pleased that we have got justice for her.

“Though no sentence will erase the memories of her assault, I hope she can feel some sense of closure that the man who did this is now behind bars and unable to hurt anyone else.

"Northamptonshire Police is determined to continue tackling violence against women and girls. This involves not only working to make them safer, but also working to ensure they feel safer too.  

“I hope this case demonstrates that aim and I want to reassure the public that we will not let up our work in this area.”

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or assault, whether recent or non-recent, please come forward by calling 101 or online at www.northants.police.uk/RO.

We will believe you.

If you have been a victim of rape or sexual abuse, but are not yet ready to speak to the police, please visit www.nhft.nhs.uk/serenity or call Serenity on 01604 601713.

Serenity provides free, confidential 24/7 support.

You can also visit www.voicenorthants.org  or call Voice on 0300 303 1965.

Voice is a support service for anyone living in Northamptonshire, regardless of when, where or how crime happened to you. Services are free, confidential and you don’t have to have reported anything to the police. 

*This press release and custody image have been released with the support and agreement of the survivor.*