Barnsley woman waives her right to anonymity as her rapist is jailed for more than a decade

Kimberley Dyson, 41, has waived her right to anonymity because she wants "other victims of sexual abuse to see experiences of sexual harm and abuse are nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about".

This has come after her former partner, Trevor Lockwood, 44, from Barnsley, has been jailed for rape after Ms Dyson “endured” his abuse for over a decade.

A court heard how Ms Dyson was in a relationship with Lockwood between 2003 and 2014 - during which he raped her on a number of occasions after she had gone to sleep.

Ms Dyson told the court she would wake up in the middle of the night to find Lockwood forcing himself on her and engaging in sexual activity she had not consented to.

She would tell Lockwood to stop what he was doing, but he would ignore her pleas and forcibly continue, the court heard.

In 2022 Ms Dyson went to South Yorkshire Police and reported Lockwood.

The 44-year-old blamed his actions on his drug use and claimed he “did not know why he did what he did”, the court heard.

Following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court, in October 2024, Lockwood was found guilty of four counts of rape.

On Monday (Feb 24), the 44-year-old was sentenced to 13 years in prison and will now be on the sex offenders' register for life.

In a statement provided to South Yorkshire Police, Ms Dyson said: "Today's sentencing hearing has been a long time coming. I feel very passionate about my decision to waive my anonymity. Despite years of feeling deep shame around the abuse I experienced, I am finally learning to accept that none of this was my fault.

"I want other victims of sexual abuse to see that experiences of sexual harm and abuse are nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. The abuse I endured for over a decade at the hands of Trevor Lockwood has impacted almost every area of my life, and although no sentence will be enough for the trauma I am left with, I am glad that this case is finally over and that I am able to start my process of healing.

"I want to take this opportunity to commend the hard work of Detective Sergeant Laura Clarke of South Yorkshire Police who has worked tirelessly on the investigation to secure this conviction and finally bring Trevor to justice. I also want to acknowledge the support I have received from my Independent Sexual Violence Advisor, Jess, at Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Services, from the moment I reported and throughout the process.

"The support this service provides is vital for victims during the criminal justice process and without the support and encouragement I received from Jess to keep fighting, I am not sure how, or if, I could have got this far.

"Trevor took so many years of my life, but today I close the chapter on this ordeal and start to live my life as it always should have been".

Detective Sergeant Laura Clarke, the officer in charge of this case, explained how Ms Dyson was entitled to lifelong anonymity - as with all victims of sexual offences - but said she “bravely” waived hers to “speak up against her abuser.”

DS Clarke added: "I cannot commend Kimberley's bravery highly enough, and I want to directly thank her for her courage throughout our investigation and the subsequent trial, which came about due to Lockwood's refusal to admit his abhorrent offending.

"We are 100 per cent committed to tackling all forms of sexual abuse in South Yorkshire, including non-recent offences, and I want to make it clear that we fully investigate every single report made to us.

"If you have been raped, sexually assaulted, or sexually harassed, you can report to us in confidence online or by calling 101. If you don't feel able to report to police in one of these ways, try and talk to someone you trust. You can also seek specialist and confidential support via the 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line".