A prolific offender who physically and sexually assaulted several women, threatened another with a firearm and engaged in sexual communications with a child has been jailed.

Lewis Gleave appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 5 September, where he was jailed for a total of four years, plus a further three years on prison licence, in relation to three separate investigations.

The sentencing comes after the 21-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by beating, two counts of sexual assault, possession of an imitation firearm with intent, possession of an imitation firearm whilst committing a schedule one offence and inflicting actual bodily harm.

Gleave was also found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and engaging in sexual communication with a child at an earlier hearing.

The first incident occurred on Monday 12 August 2024, when Lewis Gleave had been out at Sandbach Park with four others (Nub News).

The first incident occurred on Monday 12 August 2024, when Gleave had been out at Sandbach Park with four others, when he began making inappropriate and sexualised comments towards a 17-year-old girl who was with them.

His behaviour toward the girl further escalated when he tried to hug her without her consent and went on to slap her bottom.

The girl, and a 19-year-old man who was amongst the group, called out his behaviour, to which Gleave kicked the man to the floor and began punching him, accusing him of making up that he had inappropriately touched the girl.

Later that week, on Friday 17 August, the same group were in the park again, when Gleave was described as coming out of nowhere and approaching the group.

He, again, slapped the bottom of the same girl he had touched earlier in the week. He also grabbed her head whilst she was sat on a bench and pushed it toward his crotch against her consent.

Gleave targeted the same 19-year-old man as he did previously, kicking him to the floor and demanding he fight him.

The man refused and Gleave left the area. He was arrested a short time later after he was reported to Cheshire Police.

A few weeks later, on Sunday 1 September, Gleave had been speaking to a 13-year-old girl via Snapchat and FaceTime.

Whilst talking to the girl, Gleave began asking her questions of a sexual nature, telling her about sexual acts. Some of the conversation was overheard by a nearby adult.

When interviewed by police about this, he admitted to speaking to the girl as he had known her when he was younger, but denied the conversation being sexual.

On the evening of Friday 27 September, whilst still under investigation for the other offences, Gleave approached a 27-year-old near to the Victoria Centre in Crewe and demanded to know if they had been threatening a friend of his.

During this exchange, the victim noticed that Gleave had what appeared to be a gun in a holster under the hi-vis jacket he was wearing and even made stated that he was "carrying", a reference to being armed with a gun. It was, in fact, a BB gun.

Enquiries in the area revealed this exchange had been captured on CCTV footage, with an officer identifying Gleave from a tattoo on his neck.

Three days later, Cheshire Police were contacted by a worker at a supported accommodation centre for young people in Crewe, who reported Gleave had entered the property and physically and sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman.

Gleave had dragged one of them across their room and strangled the other, with this only stopping when the boyfriend of one of the victims arrived at the address.

Following these disclosures, Gleave was arrested the same day and interviewed at Middlewich Custody by officers.

He denied any wrongdoing for all of the aforementioned offences until he went to court, eventually entering guilty pleas relating to the three counts of assault by beating, two of the sexual assaults, causing actual bodily harm and being in possession of an imitation firearm.

On top of his custodial sentence, Gleave has been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, five restraining orders and will have to sign the sex offenders register.

Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Lydia Thompson, of the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, said: "Lewis Gleave is a prolific and dangerous offender, who continued to offend despite being under investigation for numerous serious offences, without any care or thought for the impact this would have on his victims.

"Gleave has shown himself to be a risk to society, targeting a number of vulnerable people during his near three-month rampage, in which he failed to take no for an answer and attacked those who stood up to him.

"I am glad to see the courts found Gleave guilty of the offences he refused to hold any accountability for, and I hope that the multiple victims his behaviour has affected can breathe a sigh of relief and begin to move on with their lives.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the victims in this case, all of whom have been affected by Gleave's abhorrent actions in different ways, it was their bravery in disclosing what had happened to them that proved so vital in securing this conviction.

"They can rest assured in the knowledge that even when he does face release, he will be continually monitored by specialist officers to ensure he causes no harm or distress to them again."

READ MORE: OPINION: Plans to reopen Crewe's 1937 swimming baths a 'win-win-win' situation.

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