Detective praises brave victims of Northampton sex attacker who feared for their lives

Ian Dunbar, 42, of Dallington Road, targeted two sex workers, threatened them and arranged a terrifying attack where they could not escape.

On Friday, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for nine counts of rape against two women.

Northampton Crown Court heard how Dunbar acted friendly to his victims when he picked them up in his campervan and bought them sandwiches and beer to make them comfortable.

But when the girls realised they were had been driven to a secluded car park, they told Dunbar how scared they were and they wanted to back out.

It was then he would reveal his true personality. He used threats to order them into the back of the van before abusing them for hours.

One of the lead detectives in the case, DI Adam Pendelbury, said the vile attacker was only brought to court through the sheer bravery of his victims.

He said: "We are pleased with the sentence handed down in this case.

"I would like to thank the victims for the courage they have shown throughout the investigation and trial, and I hope Dunbar’s conviction and prison sentence will bring some comfort and closure for them.

“We are committed to tackling sexual violence and I would urge anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault to report it. We would always encourage people to report offences to the police but, if they would prefer to talk to someone else, there are other organisations, such as Serenity or Northamptonshire Rape Crisis, who can provide the help and support they need.”

Dunbar was convicted of all charges by a jury. The court heard he attempted to deep clean his van after the attacks to destroy forensic evidence.

In an impact statement, one of the victims said they were no longer the same person and felt they "would never be able to put it behind them".

Dunbar was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.