Oxford News
Rapist jailed for attacking women across Thames Valley
Jonathan Goldsmith, aged 52 and of Hatch Gate in Whitchurch Hill, was jailed for 28 years, with four of those years on licence, following a Thames Valley Police investigation into offences committed in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and London.
He was convicted of seven counts of rape and one count of blackmail after a three-week trial at Reading Crown Court and was sentenced on May 15.
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Detective Sergeant Rachel Belsher, the investigating officer, said: “I am so grateful to the complainants in this case for the remarkable bravery and courage they have shown.
“Jonathan Goldsmith is a serial rapist and has finally been held to account for his crimes.
“He targeted women who he knew to be vulnerable and whom he assumed would never be believed.
“He was wrong.
“The complainants have had to persevere in a very long and very invasive investigation and then trial process.
“I would like to thank these incredible women for making sure that Jonathan Goldsmith cannot hurt any more women.
“I would like this conviction to show that no matter your circumstances, Thames Valley Police is committed to investigating violence against women and girls.
“If you are a victim of violence then please be reassured that we have specially trained officers who will listen and support you.
“I would like to thank CPS Paralegal Mandy Dutton-Webb and prosecution trial counsel Ms Kim Preston and Mr Adam Williams for their expertise and hard work in getting the outcome we have.”
One of Goldsmith’s offences took place in 2002, when he raped a woman in London in a parked car after threatening her with a knife.
Between 2005 and 2019, he repeatedly raped another woman, who was in her late teens when they first met in Oxford.
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Goldsmith continued to visit her at her home in Reading, where the abuse continued.
Much of it involved physical violence and resulted in injury.
He also recorded images and videos of his assaults and used the material to blackmail her into silence.
In 2014, he raped a woman in her twenties whom he had met on a dating website.
Goldsmith was arrested on August 11, 2002, December 6, 2014, and April 14, 2021.
He was charged on January 29, 2026.
Police have encouraged victims of sexual offences to come forward, assuring them they will be supported by specially trained officers.
More information on how to report rape, sexual assault or other sexual offences is available on the Thames Valley Police website.
Joanne McNamara will take up the role by the end of November, joining from Oxford Properties, where she currently serves as executive vice-president.
Her appointment follows the announced departure of Simon Carter, who is leaving to join warehouse developer P3 Logistics Parks.
British Land chairman William Rucker said: “Joanne is one of Europe’s most respected real estate professionals.
“With her deep expertise of real estate, valuable experience in the world of private capital and a strong reputation for decisive leadership, she is exceptionally well placed to drive the business forward.”
Ms McNamara brings more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry and joined Oxford Properties in 2010.
During her tenure, she oversaw significant investment and development transactions.
She said: “British Land is a business that I have always admired, with an impressive track record of delivering and managing best in class places across the UK and an expert team at its helm.
“I am very much looking forward to working with the board, executive committee and all of my new colleagues as we work together to build on what is already a fantastic platform for growth.”
Initially debuting back in 2021, Jeremy Clarkson’s farming documentary has found global success.
Fans all over the world have tuned in via Amazon’s streaming service to watch the former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter’s agricultural adventures.
Set at his own Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, the series also covers his Cotswolds pub, The Farmer’s Dog, which opened in Asthall back in 2024.
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The start of series five is out tomorrow (Wednesday, June 3), with further episodes to follow in the weeks following.
Alongside the usual faces appearing in the episodes, the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir will also star.
The group, made up of real farmers, was put together by Mr Clarkson last year to help advertise his alcohol brand, Hawkstone.
Sticking together, the group went on to compete in Britain’s Got Talent 2026, seeing them win the whole competition on Saturday night (May 30).
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The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir pipped drone act Celestial to first place, but Mr Clarkson has now revealed the runners-up will also be in the new Clarkson’s Farm.
On the social media site X, he said: “Amazingly, the drone guys are in series five of Clarkson’s Farm.”
Discussing what series five is about, an Amazon statement said: “Amid a government budget that sends the UK farming community into uproar, Jeremy decides some big changes are needed to make the farm run more smoothly.
“But while the farm tries to go high-tech, resulting in Kaleb’s first-ever trip abroad, even bigger developments are heading for Diddly Squat that are going to prove much more of a challenge.”
Since the former Grand Tour presenter invited cameras onto his 1,000-acre farm in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, he has been praised for educating viewers about the British farming industry.
From the genuine financial and bureaucratic struggles to adjusting to climate change, the 66-year-old former Top Gear presenter and farm manager, Kaleb Cooper, 27, who is Clarkson’s trusted agricultural advisor, has also sparked a massive surge in young people joining agricultural groups.
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In May 2024, Clarkson – also the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? –challenged government planning reforms, to allow more farmers to convert agricultural buildings into homes and shops.
In series five of Clarkson’s Farm, Clarkson has a major health scare and is instructed to take a step back from work on the farm. But with the farming community marching in protest of the government’s budget, this proves to be very difficult.
Clarkson also decides to welcome EasyCare sheep, a new breed which require minimal shepherding and veterinary care and even shed their own fleece in the summer, and upgrade Diddly Squat Farm with hi-tech gear, and takes a rather baffled Cooper on his first-ever trip abroad to see how it’s done.
Leaving robot tractors in charge, all is well for a while, until things turn dark, chaos erupts, and bad luck strikes from every direction.
The show’s first four episodes will debut globally on the streaming platform on Wednesday, June 4.
Episodes on Amazon Prime typically are released at either midnight or 1am – meaning there is not long to go.
And then two more episodes will be launched on June 10 followed by the final two another week later on June 17.
US – 12am PT / 3am ET
Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
India – 12:30pm IST
Singapore – 3pm SGT
Australia – 6pm AEST
New Zealand – 8pm NZDT
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