Brandon Smith will spend 12-and-a-half years behind bars after a Bolton Crown Court jury convicted him of raping and sexually assaulting a woman he ambushed on a Hyde street last summer.

The 25-year-old, who lives on Larch Road in Denton, was found guilty on two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration for the attack that began on King Street shortly after midnight on 5 July 2024. Prosecutors told the court Smith grabbed the stranger, threatened to stab her if she made a sound, then dragged her down a path between King Street and Pitt Street where he carried out a sustained sexual assault. Before fleeing, he warned the woman he had been watching her for six months and would harm her family if she spoke up.

Police arrested Smith two days later. Despite his claim that he had never met the victim, forensic evidence linked him to the scene. He offered no defence during the trial and was convicted on all charges on 8 January. In addition to his prison term, Smith will serve three years on extended licence.

Detective Constable Kim Daniel praised the survivor’s courage, saying her decision to come forward “allowed us to take a dangerous offender off the streets and away from harming other potential victims.”

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