Macclesfield man jailed for rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour

A violent and manipulative bully who was found guilty of raping, assaulting and coercing three women has been sentenced to 33 years imprisonment.

David Fury-Walsh, also known as David Overton, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday 6 February where he was sentenced to 27 years in prison plus six years on licence.

The 31-year-old was found guilty of 25 offences on Wednesday 14 December following a three-week trial at Chester Crown Court.

The offences included 13 counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault, three counts of controlling and coercive behaviour, three counts of actual bodily harm, one count of sexual touching and possession of a knife.

The case against Fury-Walsh began in September 2021 when Cheshire Constabulary received reports that he had raped and assaulted a woman.

Fury-Walsh was arrested within hours of the report, and while he was in custody two other women became aware of his arrest and built up the courage to report that they were also victims of his abusive and controlling behaviour.

The victims all told police how when they initially met Fury-Walsh he was a caring and generous man, who told his victims that he was a relative of the boxing champion Tyson Fury.

However, his behaviour quickly changed, and he began to abuse and control the women.

Fury-Walsh forced his victims to have sex on demand, violently assaulting them if they didn’t comply with his wishes. On two occasions he even forced his victims to eat their own faeces.

He also controlled the women’s finances, taking out loans in their names and manipulating them into handing over their savings on the promise that there would be a big return, which never emerged.

Following the reports officers from Cheshire Constabulary built up a case file of evidence against Fury-Walsh and charged him with a total of 25 offences.

Following the verdict, Detective Constable Jade Bannerman, who led the investigation said:

“Firstly I would like to thank the victims for bravery that they have shown throughout this investigation.

“While they will never be able to forget what happened to them, and no sentence will ever compensate for what he did, I do hope that the fact he is now behind bars will provide them some closure.

“Fury-Walsh was a violent and manipulative bully, but thanks to the courage of the three victims and the evidence we gathered, the jury saw through his lies, and he is now being held accountable for his actions.”

In addition to his prison sentence, Fury-Walsh was also handed indefinite retraining orders against all three victims and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Inspector Robert Lees of Eastern CID added:

“This has been an extremely complex investigation and I would like to commend DC Bannerman for her dedication and commitment throughout the case. I would also like to thank all of the other officers involved in the investigation.

“Nobody should have to experience what any of these women have been though and if anything can be achieved from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.

“Cheshire Constabulary takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.

“Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.”

To report any sexual offence, call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit:

https://www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report

Information can also be given anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on:

0800 555 111

Pictured - David Fury-Walsh, also known as David Overton.