Ricky Sparks has been sentenced to four years and seven months in prison for raping his ex-partner. The assault took place at her home address on December 28, 2021.
Sparks, 43, of Buckhurst Crescent, Walcot, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Friday (05/07) after his application to change his guilty plea to rape to a not-guilty plea was dismissed.
He was charged with rape in December 2022 and pleaded guilty in early 2023. However, Sparks later accused his counsel of pressuring him into pleading guilty. A hearing on May 3, 2024, dismissed Sparks’ application to withdraw his guilty plea.
Sparks was also put on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, given an indefinite restraining order, and ordered to pay a £190 surcharge.
In a statement read to the court, his victim said: “I am so grateful to Wiltshire Police, in particular Detective Constable Alex Doughty and the Crown Prosecution Service for believing in me and supporting me. The relief I felt when his guilty plea wasn’t overturned was immeasurable. I finally have my life back. I have survived, and I can move on to becoming me again.”
Detective Constable Alex Doughty said: “Mr. Sparks has done everything he could in this case to make everyone else out to be a liar and to make himself come out on top. Today I am glad to see him finally be convicted as a rapist and receive a custodial sentence. His victim has been so incredibly brave throughout this police investigation, and I wholeheartedly commend her for coming forward to report such a personal and horrific crime. I hope she inspires other victims to come forward and report to the police. Please remember there is support available, including from the Police. You are not alone.”
If you’ve been the victim of rape or sexual assault, there are many different ways you can report it to the police. You can call us on 101, or 999 in an emergency. If you’d like to report online, rather than speaking to an officer by telephone in the first instance, you can securely and confidentially report rape or sexual assault to us online. Or if you’d like to speak to an officer in person, we can provide a safe and comfortable environment at any of our police stations.
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