Sex attacker jailed for assaulting two women in Corby after meeting them at Kettering club

A man who was convicted of sexually touching two sleeping women after taking them back to his then home in Corby has today (Tuesday) been jailed for two years.

Tapiwa Somanje, 32, of Thorpe Field Drive, Thurmaston, Leicester was found guilty of two sexual assault charges after a trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

The court heard Somanje had met the two women during a night out in the Brooklyn Bar nightclub in Kettering in 2019.

At the end of the evening Somanje offered to take the women and another East European man to a local McDonald's - but instead he drove them all back to his home in Corby, the court was told.

Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told Somanje both women were vulnerable due to their tiredness and the amount of drink they had consumed.

One of the women described waking up and feeling Somanje working his way down her body.

The other woman was more vulnerable as the East European man, who has never been traced, had already removed her knickers and tights, the court heard.

She described becoming aware of someone being there and then moving on top of her.

The court heard Somanje later cancelled a taxi arranged by the women and claimed any sexual activity was consensual when he was interviewed by the police.

He later admitted being a disqualified driver at the time of the incident but maintained all the sexual activity was consensual during his trial.

Laura Blackband, mitigating, accepted both women were particularly vulnerable but urged the judge to consider passing a suspended sentence on Somanje.

Miss Blackband said: "This is primarily because of the age of the offence.

"This was four years ago. He has no history of sexual offences and there have been no further offences."

Miss Blackband said Somanje had been assessed as suitable for a community sentence by the Probation Service and handed the court five references on his behalf.

Miss Blackband added: “They speak of his commitment to his job and his compassion.

"He makes medical equipment and is now living in Leicester with his partner who is aware of the matter."

Judge Sjolin Knight made it clear Somanje was not being sentenced for rape and accepted he desisted when told to by both women.

But Judge Sjolin Knight told Somanje there were no guilty pleas in his case and she could not pass a suspended sentence.

"It was not consensual at all," Judge Sjolin Knight explained. "You took advantage of each of them."