Oxfordshire man admits 1980 attack

15 July 2010, 16:49 | Updated: 16 July 2010, 10:50

Thirty years after a 15 year old girl was forced into a car and raped in Berkshire, a man from Oxfordshire's admitted carrying out the attack.

Ronald Cheshire, who was already serving a prison sentence at HMP Bullingdon for the murder of Rachel Partridge in Bledlow Ridge in 1987, pleaded guilty to one count of rape, one count of kidnap, and one count of false imprisonment.

In May 1980, two 15-year-old girls were walking in Switchback Road North, Maidenhead.

They were approached by Cheshire, who was driving a car. He tried to grab both girls, one girl escaped but her friend was taken away and seriously sexually assaulted.

Officers working with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Forensic Science Service, uncovered new forensic evidence, which led to the arrest and charge of Cheshire on 7 April 2010.

Det Supt Barry Halliday, Head of the MCRT, said:

“Cheshire’s guilty plea shows he knew the evidence against him was too strong to dispute.

“This result shows that Thames Valley Police remain committed to the careful review and re-investigation of unsolved historic serious sexual assault and homicide cases. Offender’s who think they have got away with a crime years or even decades later, should be aware the MCRT will be doing their utmost to bring them to justice and solve crime.

“I hope that today’s result will give victims of serious sexual crime the confidence to report incidents, the confidence that they will be investigated fully, and the confidence that Thames Valley Police will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice. This applies to offences both historic and current.

“This group of officers from the MCRT, together with our partners, remain dedicated in our commitment to ensuring the very highest of standards of investigation are maintained in solving such crimes and seeking justice for victims and those surviving family members who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

“Our neighbourhoods need to be assured that Thames Valley Police examine all such unsolved crimes and this latest case is one of a significant number of cases being developed.”

Cheshire will be sentenced at Reading Crown Court in September.