Bury St Edmunds man Sean Langeland jailed for sexual assault

Before Ipswich Crown Court on Monday for sentencing was Sean Langeland, of Eastgate Street in the west Suffolk town.

He had denied five offences of sexual assault and two offences of assault by penetration in relation to one alleged victim and three offences of sexual assault and one of assault causing actual bodily harm in relation to the second alleged victim.

Langeland was found guilty by 10-2 majority verdicts of three offences of sexual assault and two offences of assault by penetration in respect of one victim and guilty by 10-2 majority verdicts of two offences of sexual assault and one offence of assault causing actual bodily harm in respect of the second victim following an earlier trial, which concluded in early July.

Langeland was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court (Image: Suffolk police)

The jury could not reach verdicts on the remaining three charges and prosecuting counsel Emma Nash said she did not require the jury to return verdicts on those charges in light of the guilty verdicts on the other charges.

In addition to being jailed, Langeland was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for life and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the same period.

He was also banned from contacting the victims of the offences.

Giving evidence during his trial, Langeland said he had never touched the girls sexually and had not taken off his clothes and got into bed with one of them.

He also denied grabbing one of the girls by the neck and strangling her.

Langeland told the court that he had a number of convictions dating back to 1985 including criminal damage, burglary, robbery, threatening behaviour, disorderly behaviour, and harassment but none for sexual offences.