Police name and shame rapist from Milton Keynes

Police have named and shamed a 26-year-old man from MK who has been sentenced to eight years in prison for rape.

Craig Burnikell, aged 26, of St Dunstans on Coffee Hall was sentenced on Tuesday last week after he was previously found guilty by a majority jury verdict of one count of rape.

The sentencing is in relation to an incident in Milton Keynes on 13 December 2019.

The Citizen spoke exclusively to his victim, 24-year-old Kayleigh Keasley, who he raped after a night out at a city centre club.

She bravely waived her right to anonymity in a bid to encourage other victims of rapists from all over the UK to come forward.

Kayleigh had to undergo two court trials, giving evidence behind a curtain to shield her from her attacker, after the first trial ended in a hung jury.

She described how she still, three and a half years on, “dirty, worthless and violated”, but said the whole process of reporting the crime was worth it.

"Police were amazing – they were supportive, sympathetic and were 100% behind me,” she said.

"I want other women to know there is nothing to be afraid or ashamed about by reporting it. Some people are too scared to report a rape but honestly, I could not have asked for better treatment from the police.”

Kayleigh had agreed to share a taxi home with Burnikell after the night out, intending the cab to drop him at Coffee Hall first and then take her on to Bletchley.

But at the Coffee Hall drop, her bag and phone went mysteriously missing.

“I searched and searched for about 45 minutes. I couldn’t pay the taxi driver without them. Eventually I agreed to stay the night at Craig’s, in a separate room.”

Later it was discovered this was probably a ploy, as Kayleigh’s bag was found the following day underneath Burnikell’s car.

Kayleigh ended up agreeing to stay the night with Burkinell, who was a friend of a friend, sleeping in separate rooms.

"I went to sleep then suddenly woke up and the rape was happening. I was drifting in and out of consciousness and couldn’t find the strength to stop it. I wanted to fight him off, but I couldn’t move

"Looking back, I was sure my drink had been spiked, which explains why I was unable to move.”

"I was powerless – it was horrible.”

Burnikell’s defence was that Kayleigh was a willing partner and, because she was bigger than him, could have fought him if had she wished.

Retrospective hair strand tests could not be carried out to see if her drink had been spiked because Kayleigh had bleached her hair.

She has now launched a petition urging the government not to grant bail to defendants awaiting trail for rape in case they reoffend during that time.

"If I can stop one other woman from going through what I did then it will be worth it...I will not let this man get the better of me and I’m determined to fight,” she said.