A Shrewsbury man has been given a discretionary life sentence after he pleaded guilty to rape and two counts of attempted rape of a teenage girl.

The offence took place on Wednesday 13 May on a footpath running through a wooded area off the Ellesmere Road in Shrewsbury. A report was made to police at approximately 9am and a thorough investigation was launched.

Matthew Gill, 23, from Herongate, was arrested the same day and pleaded guilty to the offences on Monday 22 June.

He was sentenced to serve a minimum of five years and four months in prison yesterday at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson, who led the investigation, said: “This was a horrific sex attack on a young girl who was walking to her friend’s house when she was violently assaulted. Matthew Gill had clearly gone out that day to commit such an offence. There is no question that he is a dangerous individual and I am satisfied with the sentence given by the court.

“I would like to take this opportunity to commend the victim for her bravery in coming forward and reporting this horrific offence to police. Specially trained officers will continue to work closely with her and help to provide the support she needs to come to terms with this terrible crime. The victim’s family also showed significant strength and the sentence given to Mr Gill will hopefully help them all to move on from this awful time.

“West Mercia police officers responded swiftly to the incident and were in the area minutes after the report was received where they identified and arrested Mr Gill.

“Rape and sexual offences are serious crimes and will be treated with the highest priority by police. Sexual offending is a significant area of work for our staff and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure victims are supported and offenders are brought to justice.

“Incidents such as this, which are thankfully rare across the West Mercia policing area, are undoubtedly extremely traumatic for anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence and we are keen to reassure anyone who has been a victim that should they choose to contact the police they will be treated in a caring and sensitive manner.”