Alan Pickering, a 40-year-old man from Wirral, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and an additional four years on extended licence after being convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two women while they slept. Pickering appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, November 28, where he received his sentence.
The court found Pickering guilty of five counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault by penetration following a trial. The offences occurred between January 2004 and July 2020 in the Chester and Wirral areas.
During the trial, it was revealed that both victims woke up to find Pickering raping them without their consent. Despite their repeated pleas for him to stop, he continued his offending behaviour.
The allegations against Pickering came to light in 2020 when a report was made to social services at Cheshire West and Chester. The report was then passed on to Cheshire Police, who launched an investigation.
Detective Constable Peel, who led the investigation, commended the victims for their courage and bravery throughout the case. He acknowledged the traumatic impact that Pickering’s actions had on the victims, noting that testifying during the trial was not easy for them. However, their statements and the evidence gathered allowed the jury to see through Pickering’s lies, leading to his accountability for his crimes.
In addition to his prison sentence, Pickering was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and was given indefinite restraining orders against his victims.
Detective Constable Peel emphasised that no one should have to go through what these women experienced. He encouraged other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them, assuring them that all reports would be thoroughly investigated with the victim’s needs and wishes as the top priority. He stressed that victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have endured and highlighted their right to anonymity, as well as the help and support available from specialist officers and support agencies.
