‘Dangerous’ Wellingborough rapist given life sentence

A Wellingborough man convicted of raping a stranger he pretended to be helping has been given a life sentence.

Anthony Bassett, aged 42, was arrested by Northamptonshire Police hours after a young man reported that he had been attacked in the town at around 4am on Saturday, July 15, 2023.

That night the victim had been outside a pub in Sheep Street when Bassett approached and led him away under the guise of helping him.

Instead, Bassett led him into the grounds of nearby Croyland Park where he attacked him, punching him repeatedly in the face and violently grabbing his genitals before orally raping him.

The victim escaped through the park’s brook, and later that day reported his ordeal to police.

A fast-track investigation was launched which enabled the identification of Bassett as a suspect. When he went back to the same pub on the evening of July 15, he was spotted and reported to police who then arrested him.

Following Bassett being charged over the attack, on January 11 this year a jury at Northampton Crown Court found Bassett guilty of one count of rape of a man aged 16 or over, one count of causing a male 13 or over to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, and one count of sexual assault.

On Monday, March 18, at the same court Bassett was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape, with concurrent sentences for the other two offences, and must serve a minimum term of 86 months before he can be considered for parole.

Appearing via video link from prison, Bassett, who has previous convictions for rape and other sexual offences and committed the rape while on bail, was told by the judge that he would ‘never not be a risk to others’.

Bassett, of Midland Road, Wellingborough, was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely and told to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

Speaking afterwards, investigating officer Detective Constable Victoria Thomas of SOLAR, Northamptonshire Police’s dedicated rape investigation team, said: “Anthony Bassett is a dangerous man, and I am so pleased that the severity of his horrific offending has been recognised with a life sentence.

“After Bassett was identified as a suspect, our team worked day and night to secure the evidence to enable him to be charged and remanded as quickly as possible, due to our concerns about the risk he posed.

“Despite his attempts to lie and explain away what happened that night, the evidence clearly showed his calculated and predatory behaviour in taking advantage of a young man and brutally attacking him.

“Throughout this investigation and trial the victim survivor has been so brave. I’m over the moon that his courage has been borne out with such a strong sentence, which I hope can help him in dealing with the ongoing effects of what Bassett did to him.

“Those who seek to take advantage or harm others have no place in our communities, and Northamptonshire Police is committed to bringing those responsible for sexual violence to justice.”

*This report and custody image have been published with the agreement of the victim survivor, who has lifetime anonymity.*