36-year-old Kevin Finch, who has been branded an extremely dangerous offender, has today (Wednesday) been sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 10 years, following 3 sex offences including the rape of an 18-year-old girl in Niton.
The former landscape gardener from Church Path, East Cowes, who traded under the name of Greenpaws Landscaping, will also be added to the sex offenders register for life following today’s sentencing at Portsmouth Crown Court.
Finch pleaded guilty to:
- Rape of an 18-year-old woman in Niton on 7th October 2016
- Indecent assault against a woman in Newport in 2003
- Sexual assault against a 16-year-old girl in East Cowes in 2015
As previously reported by Island Echo, Finch was arrested following a horrific attack on an 18-year-old girl at Old Blackgang Road, Niton in October last year. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Finch contacted the woman via Facebook and offered her work as a cleaner. He arranged to pick her up from Sandown High Street on the understanding that she would be working for him for the day.
Shockingly, Kevin Finch drove the young woman to a secluded car park on Old Blackgang Road, punched her in the face causing a fracture to her eye socket, and then forced her in to the back of his van and raped her. Finch said that he would kill her if she told anyone what had happened before releasing her from his van.
Prior to the attack last October, Finch had looked up on the internet the Island’s school bus routes, secluded Isle of Wight locations and ‘how to dispose of a body’.
As a result of the police investigation, 2 other victims were identified in relation to sexual assaults committed by Kevin Finch in 2003 and 2015.
In December 2003 he indecently assaulted a woman when he grabbed her from the street after she left Chicago Rock to go home in the early hours of the morning. He pushed her to the ground and pinned her down, before the woman was able to escape and run to the safety of another passer-by.
In 2015, Kevin Finch messaged a 15-year-old girl via Facebook offering her work doing general handy jobs for his business. She worked for him on a number of occasions before he sexually assaulted her.
Andrea Hills, of the CPS, has today said:
“Kevin Finch is an extremely dangerous offender who poses a very serious risk to women. As well as violently attacking a stranger, he used social media to target young women and pretend that he was genuinely offering opportunities of employment. The evidence of the victims in this case and the thorough investigation conducted by the police, ensured that the CPS was able to present a robust case, securing guilty pleas from Kevin Finch without the need for a trial.
“The victims have shown incredible bravery in supporting the prosecution and I hope that today’s sentence is of some comfort to them.”
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Dave Brown, said:
“Following the horrific serious sexual assault in Niton in October 2016, we carried out a thorough and detailed investigation, in which we were able to identify further offending by Finch and so we put him in front of the courts for two further incidents.
“Finch pleaded guilty to all three offences. I hope the admission of guilt and today’s life sentence can provide all of the victims with closure, so that they can move on with their lives.
“Thankfully these type of incidents are rare and I would like to reassure the community that the Isle of Wight remains a safe place to live and to visit.
“Our thoughts are with all of the victims at this time.”
