July 2023

Assaulting and raping two women in ‘horrific’ attacks

A 34-year-old Somerset man has been jailed for life after assaulting and raping two women in ‘horrific’ attacks.

Nathan Giles, of Wrington, was found guilty in December last year of nine offences against two victims.

The offences included four counts of rape, one of attempted rape and two of controlling/coercive behaviour.

He was also found guilty of one count of assault and one of sexual assault.

He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 14 July to life imprisonment, serving a minimum of 17 years and four months before he can be considered for parole.

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

In a personal statement, one victim said: “Nathan Giles has ruined my life… I feel that a part of me has been destroyed and I will never get that back.

“No sentence that Nathan Giles receives will ever justify what he has done to me. I am doing this for every woman out there, so that no one else has to endure the pain, the sleepless nights and constant fear.

“I have done this because I feel that this is my ending to my new beginning.”

The second victim said she felt ‘terrified, lost and ashamed’ following the incident and would hide in shops to get away from people who looked like Giles.

The incidents have meant the victim avoids certain places, especially those that bring back ‘horrible memories’.