Adiley Pires jailed for Ipswich waterfront attempted rapes

Adiley Pires, 25, and of Kensington Road, Ipswich, was today sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court.

Pires refused to appear, either remotely or in person.

A senior officer called Pires a predator following the jailing and that streets "are now undeniably safer with him locked up". 

Judge Emma Peters told the court that she had arranged for a video link to be sent to Pires, as per his initial request, but that he had subsequently refused to appear either.

Adiley Pires has been jailed for 21 years. (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

"It seems to me that he is playing a game here, and it’s not a game I’m prepared to play," she said, before sentencing him in absentia.

In October, Pires was found guilty of one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault in connection with an incident which happened in October 2021, and of a further count of attempted rape and one account of assault by beating in connection with an incident which happened on the river towpath near Tower Mill Road in December last year.

Pires admitted the charge of assault by beating but denied the other three offences.

In the course of his trial, the court was told that Pires was nicknamed ‘Zombie’ by his work colleagues.

In the 2021 incident, an 18-year-old woman was walking along the Ipswich waterfront from the direction of Stoke Bridge when she was approached by Pires, who asked for her phone number and then touched her bottom.

The victim rebuffed Pires, who chased her into the courtyard area of Foundry, The Mill, before lifting her onto a flower planter and pulling up her dress. The woman's screams for help alerted residents in the building above, and Pires ran.

This victim tearfully spoke before the court on Wednesday, explaining that this experience affects her to this day.

"I used to be a jokey person, now I feel lifeless. I don’t feel like myself anymore," she said.

She suffers with panic attacks and anxiety, told the court that she was forced to leave her job in retail as constant interaction with members of the public left feeling frightened.

She said she has "lost all my confidence", and no longer feels comfortable wearing clothing which shows any skin.

While investigating the incident in 2021, police released this CCTV image of Pires in an attempt to trace him. Image: Suffolk Police (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

Pires' first victim was walking along the Ipswich waterfront on her way home when he approached her. (Image: Archant)

The second incident occurred when Pires was released on bail. A 17-year-old girl was walking in the direction of Tower Mill Road, when she was grabbed by Pires and pushed to the ground.

He then covered her mouth and hit her whilst pulling at her leggings. The victim tried to fight him off and managed to call for help, catching the attention of nearby residents who shouted at Pires, who fled the scene.

A police car at the scene of one of the incidents in December 2022. Image: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

A statement read on behalf of this victim said that she, too, lives with anxiety. "Honestly, I don’t think I can recover from it. I might be able to move on in time, but that’s it," she said.

Judge Peters said that there was "no doubt whatsoever" in her mind that Pires posed a danger of committing another offence. 

She said that during the course of the trial, he appeared to get a "thrill" at hearing the details of his crimes recounted.

"I’ve never seen a defendant take such pleasure in hearing his victim relive their experiences," she said. 

She said that, despite being told not to be out at night in Ipswich after his first arrest, Pires had ignored these terms about found himself a night job.

She said the "meandering" route he took to work made it clear that he was "on the lookout for his next victim", clad in the homemade balaclava that she called his "rapist's kit".

Judge Peters handed Pires a custodial sentence of 15 years, with six years extended sentence. 

The judge also praised the victims for their courage and described them as "fabulous young women".

Detective Inspector James Cassedy, senior investigating officer, said: “Adiley Pires is a predator. He preyed on lone females who were simply trying to walk home after a night out and our streets are now undeniably safer with him locked up.

“In both cases, he tracked the victims’ movements and followed them to a point that he presumably thought was isolated enough for him to attack them.

“What he hadn’t accounted for was that both of these individuals would fight back and call for help. I want to pay tribute to their bravery – not just whilst being attacked, but in then sitting down and speaking with our officers afterwards and doing all they could to help us catch him.

“I also want to thank the members of the public who came to their assistance in both cases. Not only did they help to scare Pires off, they also took care of the victims and waited with them until the police arrived.

“Targeting perpetrators of sexual assault and violence against women and girls is a priority for Suffolk Constabulary – we will not tolerate it and will continue to do work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.”