Sentencing judge deems armed rapist Neil Glover is dangerous

Neil Glover was handed the prison term, along with a seven-year extended licence, by Judge Jonathan Fuller QC at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, January 8.

The judge detailed the harrowing crimes Glover, aged 48 and of no fixed abode, committed at his victim’s Christchurch address in February last year.

A jury had found the defendant guilty of two counts of rape, assault by penetration and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to commit rape following a trial at the same court.

Both offences took place after Glover had arranged to have a massage from the woman, who is aged in her 50s.

• Read more: Man jailed for 18 years after raping woman at gunpoint

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Fuller QC said the attacks were “sustained and repeated” and involved "significant planning", with the rapes involving a gun being held to the victim's head.

The judge said Glover’s first visit to the woman’s address on February 10, when he committed the assault by penetration, had the purpose of “sounding her out” before he raped her two days later.

The court heard the defendant, who served in the Army in the 1990s before being medically discharged, took the imitation Glock BB gun with him to commit the rapes after engineering a second visit.

Glover’s behaviour on both occasions left the victim scared and she had been “living with what she went through on a daily basis” ever since.

Neil Glover was deemed to be dangerous by Judge Jonathan Fuller QC

Addressing the defendant, Judge Fuller QC said: “You sought out your victim. You threatened her with a weapon to the head.”

The judge detailed how before both attacks Glover acted in a calming and reassuring fashion before suddenly mounting the attacks.

Immediately after the sexual assault on February 10 he apologised repeatedly and set about arranging a second visit.

After he had raped the victim, he questioned her about whether she would contact police. The judge said there was "clearly a threat implied" with this behaviour.

Later that day Glover started texting the woman, which was a "further attemot to undermine any resolve she might have to disclose" the attacks to the authories.

However, she reported the matters to police and Glover was arrested. In police interview he claimed everything had been consensual.

Judge Fuller told the defendant that his ability to change from being a "calming and caring" individual to a "violent sexual attacker in a moment" was a "very real cause for concern".

While delivering the sentence, Glover, who appeared at the hearing by video link from custody at HMP Winchester, sat motionless as the judge outlined the trauma his attacks had caused.

As reported, the defendant. must serve two thirds of the 18-year prison term before he can be considered for release on licence. He was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period. It was ordered that five firearms found at the Bournemouth address where he was staying at the time were to be destroyed.

Mitigating, John Burton QC said Glover, who had been a HGV driver at the time of his arrest, had seen a therapist while remanded in custody and completed several courses in prison.

Mr Burton QC argued the rape offences did not fall into the most serious category of the sentencing guidelines, but Judge Fuller QC disagreed, adding there was “little to mitigate the offences”.

Anyone who has been the victim of a rape or sexual assault who wants to report it directly to police, should contact Dorset Police via 101 and ask to speak to a specially-trained officer. In an emergency always dial 999.

Dorset Police said it acknowledges that not everyone will want to report a matter directly to the police. The Shores is the sexual assault referral centre for Dorset and its expert staff are independent of the police.

Anyone who has been the subject of a sexual offence and is not sure if they want the police to be involved, they can call or visit The Shores to talk about what happened. The Shores can be contacted on 01202 552056 and more details about their facilities can be found on their website www.the-shores.org.uk.