A 56-year-old man has been found guilty of assault and false imprisonment after trapping his victim inside a property in Sandhurst.

Patrick Blenman, 56, of Consort Avenue, Cambridge appeared at Reading Crown Court on Friday, March 10 following a five-day trial in relation to an incident that occurred on August 10 2021.

A 32-year-old woman sustained physical and psychological injuries after Blenman assaulted her and padlocked her inside the address before setting fire by the front door.

She escaped the property through a third-floor window.  

Blenham was arrested by Thames Valley Police on the same day as the offence and he was charged in December the same year.

He is set to be sentenced at the same court on 21 April.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Kasie Collet-Adams said: “The unanimous guilty verdicts demonstrate that violence against women and girls will not be tolerated by our communities in the Thames Valley.

“This was an extremely traumatic experience for the victim and we welcome the time and care that the jury took in reaching their verdicts.”