A BARNSLEY man has been jailed for rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment.
Mark Nicholls, 37, of Mallory Way, Cudworth, was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday.
On April 14 2024, Nicholls was driving around the Barnsley area when he approached a 19-year-old woman and offered her a lift home.
Instead of taking her home, Nicholls drove the woman to a remote location where he sexually assaulted and raped her. He later locked her in his vehicle before finally allowing her to leave.
Nicholls’ victim bravely reported the crime and following a swift investigation by Barnsley CID, Nicholls was identified and arrested.
His vehicle was seized and upon a forensic search of the vehicle, the victim’s jeans button was located on the back seat.
Officers charged Nicholls on April 16 2024 with rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment, and kidnap.
At police interview, Nicholls said that the allegations made against him were false and provided no comment to all questions asked.
On May 15 2024, Nicholls pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, and on January 9 2025, he pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment, rape, and kidnap.
On January 15 2025, Nicholls was found guilty of rape, sexual assault, and false imprisonment following a seven-day trial at Sheffield Crown Court. He was found not guilty of kidnap. On Monday he was sentenced at the same court to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Detective Constable Alice Gilbert, the officer in charge of the case, said: “I applaud the victim’s courage and would like to thank her for her support in this investigation.
“She has demonstrated great strength in coming forward, providing evidence at court, and helping to bring Nicholls to justice.
“Nicholls showed no remorse throughout the trial, and I hope that yesterday's sentencing provides some closure and peace to the victim. His lengthy sentence means Nicholls will be off the streets of Barnsley and will not pose a risk to members of the public as they go about their daily lives in peace.”
Detective Inspector Helen Hughes who leads the Reactive CID department said: “I hope this outcome encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward, with the assurance that we take crimes of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and respond robustly to all reports.
“This case was complex in nature and following excellent detective work, the offender was placed before the courts and sentenced accordingly.
"I would encourage any person who is a victim of rape or sexual assault, regardless of when it occurred, to report it to us. We will take your allegations seriously, we will listen to you and we will support you throughout the process.”
Please remember that victims of sexual offences are provided lifelong anonymity by law. It is a criminal offence to name them or share any information which may lead to them being identified.
