Cheshire man to be jailed after raping teenager on Lake District trip in 1994

A serial sex offender has been found guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman.

Peter Neild was convicted of the charge following a three-day trial at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 20 December 2023.

The 52-year-old, who is already serving an indefinite prison sentence for previous sexual offences, is due to be sentenced for this case on 29 January 2024.

During the trial, the court was told how in 1994 the victim and Neild were both part of a group who travelled to the Lake District as part of a Prince’s Trust course being delivered by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The victim told the jury how she and Neild initially got along well and there seemed to be no issues.

On the second night of the trip, she and Neild had been eating and chatting in the main communal area with the rest of the participants.

Gradually, all the other people left the room, leaving just Neild and the victim alone.

Without warning, Neild jumped on the victim and removed her trousers, before going on to rape her, despite multiple requests for him to stop.

At the time of the incident, the victim felt unable to report the offence. But in May 2022 she decided to come forward and an investigation was launched.

Following the verdict, Detective Sergeant Helen Harrison, of Northwich CID, said:

“Neild is a prolific sex offender who clearly has no regard for his victims, and shows no remorse for his actions, his only concern being fulfilling his own sexual gratification.

“In this case, the victim did not know Neild and had only gone on the Prince’s Trust course as she wanted to help boost her confidence. Instead, she was left mentally scarred by what he did to her that night.

“However, thanks to the evidence that she provided Neild has now been held accountable for his actions that day.

“I would like to thank the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation and I hope that the verdict reached will allow her to move forward.

“As this case demonstrates, we treat all reports of historic sexual offences seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.”

To report any sexual offence call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Information can also be passed anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.