‘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.
Last updated 27th Mar 2024
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.