Man jailed for sickening attacks on female pensioners including one in Northamptonshire

Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police, a man has been sent to jail for eight years for sexual assaults against elderly women.

Richard Saillet, aged 64, of Crick Road, Hillmorton, Rugby, Warwickshire, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment at Oxford Crown Court yesterday with two further years on licence.

At a previous hearing on March 24 at the same court, he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault on a female over 16.

On each occasion, Saillet trespassed onto the properties of elderly women in order to sexually assault them.

The offences took place last year in Halesowen, West Midlands, on March 8, Botley, Oxford, on April 27, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, on May 3, and a village near Towcester, Northamptonshire, on 19 May.

Saillet was arrested on May 24, 2016 and charged on February 21 this year.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Richard Lewis of Force CID, said: “This was a very disturbing series of sexual assaults where Richard Saillet has trespassed into the victims’ homes to carry out the offences. Saillet targeted his victims, who were all vulnerable, elderly women living on their own.

“Saillet was identified through phone billing enquiries and subsequent forensic examinations identified his DNA at the scene of the offences.

“Bringing Saillet to justice has very much been a collaborative effort between four police forces, the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service and I would like to thank all of those involved.”

Jeremy Taylor, senior Crown prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “This case involved the sexual assault of four women between March and May 2016, in their homes in the West Midlands, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, and Northamptonshire.

“On each occasion, Richard Saillet, aged 64, attended the home address of the women, who are not known to him, and touched them inappropriately.

"During the first incident, he pushed passed the victim as she opened the door and forced his way in. A week before the second incident, he called the victim claiming someone needed to visit her about a survey. On attending, he said he needed to use the bathroom and when she found him in her son’s bedroom he forced her onto the bed.

"Saillet used violence during the last incident and got angry with the victim when she tried to resist. Saillet targeted the women, due to their vulnerability, and planned his attacks. He is clearly a calculated, ruthless and dangerous man."

“Saillet denied any sexual wrongdoing, but was linked to the offences via DNA, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), mobile phone / cell site analysis, and phone billing evidence. On March 24, 2017, at Oxford Crown Court, owing to the strength of evidence against him, Saillet pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault.

“We worked closely with Thames Valley Police from early in the investigation to help build the strongest possible prosecution case. Their investigators, and Crown Prosecution Service lawyers and caseworkers have worked tirelessly to bring this prosecution to court.

“This prosecution would not have been possible without the courage of the victims, who were willing to support proceedings. I commend them for their bravery. The physical and emotional impact on the victims of the abhorrent actions of this man is impossible to quantify. I hope that the convictions and today’s sentence give some small comfort to them. Our thoughts are very much with them all at this time.”