Portsmouth man sentenced to over 10 years in prison for false imprisonment of woman he tied up and threatened

Philip John Andrew, 67, of Eastern Road, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court today (May 15), after pleading guilty to false imprisonment with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Police were called shortly before midnight on April 26, 2022 to a report that a woman in her 30s had been threatened by a man that she knew at an address on Eastern Road.

The court heard how the victim had attended the home address of Andrew that evening, where she was tied up and threatened by him.

It was heard that Andrew had then broken the SIM card in the victim’s phone in order to prevent her from calling the police. She eventually persuaded him to let her leave and she was able to then call for help.

She did not sustain serious physical injuries during the incident.

Officers attended the home address of Andrew, where he was arrested in the early hours of April 27.

At a court hearing in March, Andrew pleaded guilty to one count of false imprisonment with intent to commit a sexual offence and he has now been sentenced to a total of ten years and eight months in prison.

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Detective Constable Laura Hardie, of Hampshire Constabulary’s Criminal Investigation Department, who led the investigation, said: ‘The actions of Andrew that night are deeply concerning and he violated the trust of his victim in one of the worst possible ways.

‘We are pleased that in the face of the evidence against him he has chosen to plead guilty saving the victim from the further trauma of a trial. We are also glad that he will now face a considerable amount of time in prison for what he has done.

‘I would like to commend the bravery of the woman involved in this case and thank her for the courage she has shown throughout this investigation, without which we would not have secured this outcome.

‘I hope this result encourages anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward and speak to us. You will be listened to and you will be supported.’

If you have been a victim, please report rape or sexual assault as soon as possible.

You can speak to a number of organisations in confidence and what you tell them won't be shared with the police unless you ask for it to be. For further information, click here.