A 55-year-old man from Beaconsfield has been sentenced to nearly a decade behind bars for sexually assaulting three people.

Richard Cunningham, of Maxwell Road, was found guilty of sexually assaulting three people by a jury on February 28, following a week-long trial at Aylesbury Crown Court.

He was also found guilty of assault by penetration and not guilty of one count of rape in relation to offences committed in Chalfont St Peter between 2015 and 2019.

Cunningham was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison on Friday, April 19.

The 55-year-old also previously pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker after her pushed a female police officer to the ground on Maxwell Road, causing a head injury that required hospital treatment.

Detective Inspector Christopher Birtles said: “The three victims in this case were brave and resolute and this conviction shows their determination to see not only justice for what happened but also to prevent it from happening to anyone else.

“Richard Cunningham preyed on these vulnerable victims and the sentence he received reflects the awful nature of the crimes he committed.

“I hope this case shows that we will always support victims of sexual offences and do all we can to put offenders before the courts.

“We also simply will not accept assaults on our dedicated and hardworking police officers while serving the public so I’m glad Cunningham has also been brought to justice for this offence.”

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