Drug and sex assault man guilty

Holyoake will be assessed by a psychologist before sentencing

A man has been found guilty of drugging three women and subjecting them to a series of sexual assaults inside his padlocked home.

Geoffrey Holyoake, 53, from Frome, was found guilty at Bristol Crown Court of four counts of indecent assault and one of attempted rape against the women.

He was also convicted of falsely imprisoning the trio and administering them with a noxious substance.

Holyoake will be assessed by a psychologist before being sentenced.

'Very dangerous'

The jury cleared him of one count of rape and one of indecent assault.

Holyoake was described as "a very dangerous man" by Judge Carol Hagen.

The jury was told how Holyoake sedated the women with drugs and then took them back to his home.

He met all his victims at a pub in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, that he used daily.

Each woman said during the ordeals, where they were dressed up while drugged, that they felt "incapacitated in a way never experienced before" by the drugs given to them.

Padlocked house

One said she was given a coffee at Holyoake's house which left her feeling "extremely strange".

Holyoake's house was padlocked shut and he used strong glue to reinforce the locks.

Detective Inspector John Forrest said: "Geoffrey Holyoake is a dangerous, manipulative man who deliberately targeted some of the most vulnerable women in our society.

"It took considerable moral courage for these women to come forward to the police and go through the court process."

The jury also returned guilty verdicts on two counts of possession of cannabis and amphetamines with intent to supply.

Holyoake was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register.