April 2015

Life for baby killer

A man who conned his daughter into thinking he was dying of cancer has been jailed for at least 25 years for murdering her five-week-old baby.

Mark Jones, 45, carried out a brutal attack on granddaughter Amelia while babysitting for her mother Sarah, 26, when she went to the cinema.

Amelia died in November 2012 after suffering a “catastrophic” bleed to the brain.

During his trial, Jones claimed he fell with Amelia in his arms on one occasion and passed out while holding her on another.

But the court heard she had suffered a skull fracture, brain swelling and multiple rib fractures and had been injured at least three different times.

Sentencing him to life with a minimum of 25 years, Judge Wyn Williams said Jones had shown no remorse for his “wicked and despicable” actions.

He told Jones: “It may well be that you are never released from prison or if you are you will be a very old man.”

In her victim impact statement, Miss Jones said her father was now dead to her.

Newport Crown Court heard that the defendant called his daughter first, rather than dial 999, after Amelia stopped breathing.

Doctors later found the baby had suffered a catastrophic bleed to the brain as well as having fractures to her skull, ribs and leg. She died 48 hours later in hospital aged just 41 days.

Experts believe she received a serious blow to the head as well as being violently shaken.

The court heard that Jones was a serial liar who could not be trusted.

Not only did he try blame other children for his granddaughter’s injuries, he had deceived his daughter for more than a year into thinking he was seriously ill.

He repeatedly phoned her up masquerading as a doctor. And he pretended to pass out in front of her after telling her he had taken “anti-cancer drugs”.

To make his act look all the more convincing, Jones hobbled around on a crutch with what appeared to be plastic tubes attached to his chest.

Jones claimed Amelia’s death had been a tragic accident after he dropped her on two separate nights.

But the court was told the defendant said nothing about a supposed “black out” for 22 months – and only came up with the story after police had re-arrested him.

Amelia died in November 2012, two days after she was left with Jones at her home in Pontnewydd, Cwmbran, south Wales.

As the jury’s unanimous verdict came in, Jones showed no emotion – and did not flinch when his daughter’s victim impact statement was read aloud in court.

She said her life had been totally destroyed – and it had given her other children nightmares.

One of them had asked: “If granddad gets out of prison, will we have to move? I’m afraid he will come and kill me next.”

Amelia’s mother said her baby’s life now seemed like a dream and her father’s betrayal has left her unable to trust anyone.

And, in the midst of her grief, further heartbreak was to come after her other children were taken off her by social services while a police investigation into her baby’s death went ahead.

“Amelia was not the only one of my children I lost,” she said.

“My other three were taken away from me and I did not see them for another three weeks after Amelia had died.

“I was even arrested, accused of killing Amelia. My life had been destroyed.”

Miss Jones added she was constantly haunted by thoughts of what her daughter would look like now, what colour her hair would be and what her personality would be like.

She added that as far as she was concerned, her father was now dead to her.

“I still feel like I have not properly grieved for Amelia,” she said.

Amelia’s father Ian Skillern said in a statement that his daughter’s death had also devastated him.

Sentencing, the judge told the court he had decided to go beyond the “usual starting point” of a 15-year minimum term because of the many aggravating features in the case.

Addressing the defendant, he said: “You inflicted significant and serious violence upon your granddaughter, who was nearly six weeks old.

“You killed a very young baby – she was particularly vulnerable and defenceless.

“Precisely what you did to her will never be known unless you choose to reveal it.

“At the very least, you made her head hit against a hard surface. This was a terrible thing to do to a baby. I am also satisfied that you abused Amelia on at least two previous occasions to her death.”

Mr Justice Williams said Jones’s actions had major consequences to Amelia’s family, particularly her mother Sarah.

He said: “She had to deal with the anguish of not only losing her baby but her other children and at the same time was suspected of killing Amelia.”

The defendant’s ever-changing story, as well as attempts to pervert the course of justice, were described as “wicked and despicable”, especially in his failed attempt to implicate another child for Amelia’s death.

Mr Justice Williams added: “You have not shown a shred of remorse… and have only ever been concerned about yourself.

“It may well be that you are never released from prison – or if you are, you will be a very old man.”

April 2015

A woman who was groomed by her uncle from the age of 12 has waived her right to anonymity to encourage other victims to report historic abuse.

Stacey, 31, was first abused by her uncle, Robert Davies, almost two decades ago.

Davies, 48, of Plasturtwyn Terrace, Llanbradach, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault against someone under 16 by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court on April 10.

Known locally as ‘Bobby’, he was sentenced on April 29 for “effectively grooming” Mrs Jones, then Miss Young, from the age of around 12.

Mrs Jones said: “I want to encourage victims to come forward. If they’re too scared to go to the authorities they can approach me for advice on what the process is like.

“It’s a hell of a roller coaster, you open up parts of the past that were buried. I didn’t know who I was at one point. I had to start again.

“I knew I had to deal with it because if I’d carried on the way things were going, I wouldn’t have been any good to anyone.

“So I thought I’m going to face up to it. I had to really for my own sanity.

“I was nearly sectioned because of all the bad stuff I had to relive and I didn’t get out of bed for weeks.

“I’m just nervous all the time and anxious and I can feel it now in my gut.

“But it’s worth it, the judge got it right and when the sentence was handed down I felt a release.”

Davies had denied abusing Mrs Jones and going to the police has torn the family in two.

The court heard how Davies’ abuse of Mrs Jones progressed over two years, from touching her while she was doing a paper round to assaulting her in bed while she baby-sat his daughter at his home.

After the most serious assault, Davies threatened his victim, saying his wife “suspects there’s something going on with us, if she finds out she’ll break your legs”.

Mrs Jones broke down in court when Davies was sentenced while there were shouts of protest from the public gallery.

She said: “I feel happy he’s locked up but it doesn’t feel enough because I want him to admit to it. Just admit to the family that he did it.”

Sentencing Davies, Judge Michael Fitton said: “You were taking sexual gratification out of your abuse of her. She was away from her home, she had no-one there to turn to in the middle of the night.

“The offences occurred over a period of two years. It appears you were grooming her.

“This was your niece. This was the grossest form of abuse of trust.”

In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecution barrister Claire Pickthawn, Mrs Jones said she suffers from anxiety and that going to court to face her abuser was “soul destroying”.

Mitigating for the defence, Peter Henry-Roberts said Davies’ ability to care and provide for his family should be taken into account, but conceded there had “been a lack of remorse”.

Mrs Jones said she broke her silence when her eldest daughter was at the age her abuse began and said that despite the difficulties, the ordeal had bought her immediate family together.

• A support line for victims of sexual abuse was launched on April 28.

The TST Cymru Sexual Abuse and Rape Support Line is the only national support line in Wales dedicated to sexual violence.

In light of the increase exposure of sexual violence more and more people are coming forward reporting abuse and needing support.

It is estimated there are more than 140,000 people affected by sexual abuse and rape living in Wales today.

The free support line can be contacted on 0808 801 0818.

April 2015

A KIDDERMINSTER man sentenced to 15 months custody for sex offences against a 13-year-old girl will be released in a few weeks, Worcester Crown Court was told.

For Thomas Lloyd-Perks had been held on remand in a young offenders institution waiting for his case to come before the court, said his barrister Abigail Nixon.

The 20-year-old, of Worcester Road, had pleaded guilty in September last year to sexual activity with the girl and taking indecent photographs of her genitals.

He was ordered to sign the sex offender register for 10 years. Judge Robert Juckes QC also made a sexual harm prevention order banning Lloyd-Perks from contact with any child under the age of 16 for five years.

Siobhan Collins, prosecuting, said Lloyd-Collins met the girl, who was to become his victim, at an activity group. She lost interest in the group but he continued to bombard her with messages on Facebook. At one stage he invited her to go to the nightclub where he said he was earning £150,000 a year.

Her mother had tried to block the friendship and said he could only come to the house after 5pm when she was there. But Lloyd-Perks continued sexual talk and the pair met in secret. He persuaded her to strip so that he could tell whether she was “a girl or a woman” and also took pictures of her private parts 

When she told her mother what had happened, the police were informed and analysis of his phone disclosed the pictures he had taken. In an impact statement the girl said she had been made to feel gullible.

Miss Nixon, mitigating, submitted references and said Lloyd-Perks was of good character and was well-supported by his family. He was regarded as an ideal prisoner while in custody and had been a pleasure to teach on a mentoring course.

Judge Juckes said Lloyd-Perks had been a very manipulative young man who had taken advantage of a 13-year-old girl. There was always the danger that pictures taken in private could get into the social media.

April 2015

Birmingham man jailed over child abuse images and pepper spray imports

A man has been jailed for downloading indecent images of children and importing pepper spray for resale.

Ikram Shah, 27, from Cherrywood Road in Bordsley Green, Birmingham, sold the weapons disguised as cigarette lighters and lipsticks.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said around 40 images of girls aged between four and nine-years-old were also found on his phone.

He was jailed for two years at Birmingham Crown Court.

The NCA originally raided Shah’s home as part of their investigation into 300 pepper sprays he had imported from China.

Dawn Cartwright, of the NCA, said: “Our investigation identified that Shah was using the internet for despicable purposes – firstly using the dark web to download horrific child abuse images involving very young children.

“But he was also brazenly selling dangerous weapons disguised as innocuous items like lipsticks and cigarette lighters on the open internet.”

Shah was charged with making indecent images of children and possessing and porting prohibited weapons.

He will remain on the sex offenders register for seven years.

April 2015

OAP who abused two young girls sent to jail after judge rules his suspended sentence was too SOFT

A pensioner from Coventry who preyed on two young girls has finally been jailed after top judges ruled his suspended sentence was far too soft.

Thomas Michael Murtagh, 77, of King Richard Street, Hillfields, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of indecent assault at Warwick Crown Court on February 27.

He was given a two-year suspended sentence.

However, the case was referred to London’s Criminal Appeal Court by the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, who attacked the sentence as ‘unduly lenient’.

Today judges removed the suspension, meaning Murtagh must serve his two-year sentence behind bars.

Lady Justice Hallett told the court how the string of indecent assaults took place in the 1960s and 70s.

The two victims were aged under 13 when Murtagh molested them.

One of them telephoned Murtagh to confront him in 2008 and he admitted his offending, apologised and told his wife what he had done.

The same victim finally went to the police in 2014 and, when officers went to Murtagh’s home, he said: ‘I have waited 40 years for this’.

Lady Justice Hallett told the court: “This case does have exceptional features.

“Rarely will an offender admit what he has done when confronted by a victim, then admit it to his wife, then admit it to police and then admit it to the court.,

“Even more rarely will an offender volunteer the fact there was a second victim.”

Married for 48 years, Murtagh has many health issues, including asbestos-related lung problems, cystic fibrosis and heart complaints.

His poor health, remorse and ‘blameless’ life since the offending were taken into account, but the judge said there were also a number of aggravating features.

These included the age of the victims, the fact there was two of them, the duration and frequency of offending and the significant psychological damage both have suffered.

One of the women has ‘no happy childhood memories’, suffers from self-loathing, is on anti-depressants and has had thoughts of suicide.

The other is also on anti-depressants and has developed obsessive compulsive disorder, the court heard.

Lady Justice Hallett said she was satisfied the suspended sentence was ‘unduly lenient’.

“We feel we have no alternative but to lift the suspension,” added the judge, who was sitting with Mr Justice Kenneth Parker and Mr Justice Knowles.

“Therefore the sentence must be served as an immediate custodial sentence.”

Murtagh must report to Coventry police on Saturday to begin his jail term.

April 2015

Man admits sexual activity with schoolgirl

A Southampton chef has admitted kissing a 15-year-old girl after he ran away with her – sparking a huge police manhunt.

Michael Britten previously told a court he abducted the teenager on August 10 last year before being located by officers on the Isle of Wight.

Police launched a desperate search following the disappearance of the pair and the girl’s mother pleaded for her to come home.

Britten, of Parsonage Road, Northam, also admitted possessing indecent photographs of a child at the city’s crown court.

The 33-year-old admitted sexual activity with a child and that he intentionally touched her by kissing her in August last year.

The court heard Britten has brain damage after being hit with a rock when he was six years old.

Britten, who worked in the kitchen at Yates’s pub in Southampton, will be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on June 1.

He was granted bail under the condition he does not contact the teenage girl or her mother.

April 2015

Man, 40,  groomed schoolgirls on the internet

Michael Carter, 40, engaged in conversations with girls as young as 13 and 14 in chatrooms and via Skype, Welshpool Magistrates Court heard.

He sent and received pictures, many of which were pornographic, the court was told.

Carter had admitted a charge of inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity on January 5 at a previous hearing, but appeared at the court via videolink from Taunton Magistrates Court for sentencing. He also admitted possessing 16 Category C images of children on January 6.

He was given a three-year community order by magistrates, with a supervision requirement, a sex offenders’ treatment programme and 100 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs, a £60 victim surcharge and had to sign a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Mrs Helen Tench, prosecuting, said Dyfed-Powys Police was made aware that Carter had been chatting to underage girls in the area via the internet.

She said: “The force received information that Carter was active in chatrooms and was engaging in conversations with underage girls.

“Officers were sent to his address and seized laptops, a hard drive and mobile phone which were sent away for examination.

“When they were looked at, indecent images were found featuring girls as young as eight.”

Mrs Tench said officers found that Skype had also been installed on one of the computers and evidence of conversations with underage girls as young as 13 and 14 had been found.

Carter of Dunster, near Minehead, Somerset, had also used the internet to search for terms which he hoped would lead to pictures of underage girls.

Carter, for himself, said he is “deeply ashamed” of what he has done.

He added: “I am ashamed of everything. My behaviour was awful, I can’t blame anybody but myself. I was not in a good place mentally at the time and this incident has really made me reflect on my life.

“I now want to draw a line under it and I am going look at re-building my life now.”

May 2015

‘Calculating’ pervert (66) who groomed schoolgirl for sex sentenced to 10 years in prison

A ‘CALCULATING’ paedophile who groomed a 15-year-old girl for sex has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Anthony Hart stood emotionless as he was sentenced for his sickening crimes at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday.

The 66-year-old South African national, who moved to the UK 24 years ago, groomed his fragile victim over a three-week period after they met in December 2013.

During their sordid relationship they exchanged more than 800 text messages, during which Hart, who professed to be a dedicated Christian, told the young girl he loved her and referred to her as his future wife.

During his trial, Hart told the court how he filmed her dancing around his lounge while she was wearing a red thong in a bid to increase her “low self-esteem” and admitted performing a sex act on her.

A jury of eight woman and four men yesterday found him guilty of one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming, eight counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of committing an act intended to pervert the course of justice

Sentencing, Judge John Harrow said Hart, of Purewell Cross Road, Christchurch, had groomed the vulnerable victim from the outset and manipulated the young girl into hiding the abuse from her mother.

He said: “It is clear that you knew full well you were headed to towards a sexual relationship.

“In my opinion you were grooming her for what clearly transpired. You took her back to your home and you abused her in many ways, including penetrative sex.”

Judge Harrow said the abuse had had a significant damaging effect on the child.

He told the pensioner: “You had a substantial degree of control over her and in the latter stages she was clearly emotionally very disturbed – feeling that the devil would control her.”

Hart was sentenced for a total of 10 years in prison for all counts, which dated between September 2013 and February 2014.

He will also be made to sign the sex offender’s register after he is released from prison.

DC Ben Morgan, who led the investigation, said he felt justice had been done.

He said: “Anthony Hart was very calculating in the manner he went about his crimes and he groomed a very vulnerable young member of the community.

“I hope this shows there are support mechanisms in place at Dorset Police and other agencies to support people in coming forward and reporting these crimes.”

May 2015

Paedophile jailed for 15 years after sexually abusing two children

A VIOLENT and sadistic paedophile who “pranced and posed” semi-naked in ladies underwear while sexually abusing two children has been jailed for 15 years.

Derrick Hooley, 69, dressed up in black suspenders, a basque and French knickers to degrade and humiliate his young victims.

He was labelled “a thoroughly nasty deviant” by the judge sentencing him last Thursday (Apr 30).

Hooley, a retired coach painter, was unanimously convicted of all 17 charges against him by a jury at Bradford Crown Court.

They involved the “sustained, routine and relentless” sexual abuse of a boy three decades ago and the similar abuse of a girl over the same period.

The boy, now a man in his 30s, had been “wholly destroyed” by Hooley, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said.

Hooley, who wore dark glasses and earphones during the trial, remained impassive in the dock as the jury’s verdicts were returned.

A victim statement by the male victim said he had been robbed of his childhood and had recurring nightmares.

He still leapt out of bed taking swings at the man “as though fighting him off.”

Hooley, of Main Street,  in the mid to late 1980s.

He was convicted of 12 offences of indecent assault and indecency with a child, relating to the boy, and five charges involving the girl, including indecent assault, indecency with a child, and taking an indecent photo of her.

During the trial the jury saw photographs of Hooley “prancing and posing” semi-naked in women’s underwear and male pouches.

His passion for photography cemented his downfall when the police seized pictures of him in what the judge described as “a variety of fairly interesting positions”.

“This case is about a thoroughly nasty, deviant man who happened, inappropriately and cruelly, to parade naked and in women’s clothing,” he said.

Hooley told a pack of lies to the police and the jury when the evidence against him was overwhelming.

He told the court he was posing in frilly pants and bras to see if they fitted for “a fancy dress do”.

Another outfit, of skeleton body paint, French knickers and a white cape, was to wear at a Halloween party, he claimed.

Hooley, who was born in Ilkley, had never been in trouble with the police before, his barrister Robin Frieze said.

He had been a self employed sign writer and then worked at Airedale Hospital, in Steeton.

During the trial, the male victim said he went to the police when Jimmy Savile’s sexual abuse was made public in 2013.

He described how Hooley abused him when wearing pink ladies underwear and baby oil. He also saw him committing sex acts in silk knickers, a bra and a basque.

The woman told how he grabbed her breasts when she was a child, put body paint on her when she was topless and photographed her when she was posing naked.

May 2015

Telford man, 38, collected 10,000 indecent images of animals and children on computer

A 38-year-old Telford man amassed a collection of nearly 10,000 obscene pictures and videos of children and animals, a court heard.

Lam Thai admitted 23 separate charges of making indecent photographs of children and possessing extreme pornography.

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard police raided Thai’s home address in Willowfield, Woodside, on June 5 last year.

Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said it was part of an investigation into the sharing of child porn through peer-to-peer networks. He said there was no evidence Thai had shared the images – but police found scores of images after he handed over a computer and a number of hard drives.

The prosecutor said in total there were 150 moving images of children and 3,409 still images.

There was also a cache of extreme pornography featuring bestiality.

Mr Dean Easthope, for Thai, said  two thirds of the images and films were at the least serious level.

“He has lived a bit of an insular and isolated existence. He has lived a bit of a hermit lifestyle in his room with the computer, and by his own admission through curiosity one thing has led to another,” he said.

Mr Easthope said his client had been to university and got a Masters degree and was a self-employed electrician.

Judge Peter Barrie sentenced Thai to a three-year community order, with requirements to be supervised by the probation service and attendance on a sex offender rehabilitation programme.

May 2015

Pervert who went on run did not turn up at a court hearing – Officials admit they had “no idea where he was”

Mark Hudgell could still be hundreds of miles away in Scotland after he was arrested there following a manhunt spanning several days.

The bizarre twist in the high-profile saga was revealed after court officials failed to bring Hudgell before a judge to be sentenced for an offence of attempting to meet a girl after grooming.

Hudgell, 30, formerly of Keelby, was due to be sentenced yesterday at Hull Crown Court.

But Judge Simon Jack said the court “didn’t have the benefit of the company” of Hudgell.

Defence barrister Andrew Bailey said nobody had any idea where Hudgell was and inquiries had drawn a blank.

Hudgell had been “picked up” and arrested in Scotland after breaching his bail and going north of the border “to be with his girlfriend”.

The custody officers at court had “no idea where he might be” and had offered no information whatsoever about his whereabouts, said Mr Bailey.

“We fully anticipated that he would be brought from a Scottish prison to an English prison and then brought here,” added Mr Bailey.

He said he understood that two prison buses would “meet at the border and swap him over with one another”.

Judge Jack replied: “A bit like Checkpoint Charlie.”

Mr Bailey said: “Those in the cells haven’t got a clue where he is and didn’t have a prisoner number for him.

“That suggests he’s not yet had his transfer from Scotland. That was news to me.”

He joked: “I don’t know whether Interpol will be required.”

A court clerk joked: “It’s probably a full extradition warrant.”

Prosecutor Jeremy Evans said: “He’s been wanted for some time. It was circulated widely in the local press, with a picture, to ask members of the public to help track him down.”

He said he would ask the police’s officer in the case from the Grimsby Crown Court trial to try to track down where Hudgell was.

Hudgell had been convicted by a jury of attempting to meet a 12-year-old girl after grooming.

Judge Jack suggested issuing a warrant without bail in the hope that this would help get Hudgell brought to court but asked whether it would have any force under a different jurisdiction in Scotland.

Mr Evans said: “I do think a warrant will have some effect in Scotland. There’s a memorandum of understanding between both jurisdictions.”

Judge Jack issued a warrant “with the intention that the defendant is presented at this court as soon as is reasonably practicable”.

May 2015

Supermarket worker had 13,000 indecent images of children

A supermarket worker caught with 13,000 indecent images of children must to attend a sexual offender treatment programme.

Colin Stevenson, aged 35, had tens of thousands of images and hundreds of videos stored on his computer and mobile phone.

He was caught when he fell behind on repayments for a computer he had bought from flexible payment retailer Perfect Home. The company took it back from him in June 2013.

Catherine Duffy, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court, said: “A technician began to examine the computer to refurbish it.

“He found, in a folder called ‘Colin’ in the recycle bin, there were a number of images of naked children.”

The police were called and Stevenson was arrested.

He told officers his ex-boyfriend had given him two USB sticks, which he downloaded. He deleted the files when he saw they contained indecent images.

Rebecca Tanner, for Stevenson, said: “Although 35 years of age, he is relatively inexperienced in terms of sexual encounters.

“He is longing to be accepted having been disappointed during his only previous sexual relationships. He is still unable to discuss his sexuality with his family and is hoping to find a forever partner.”

Stevenson, of Queen Avenue, Maltby, pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of children and extreme pornographic images.

He was sentenced to a community order with three-year supervision requirement and was ordered to attend a sexual offender treatment programme.

May 2015

Paedophile blames jury service for possession of child abuse images

A man from Haverhill collected indecent images of children because he had been traumatised while serving on jury duty, a court has heard.

David Backler, 59, of Stanton Place, appeared on Friday at Ipswich Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to five offences of possessing indecent images and movies of children.

Prosecuting, Stephen Rose said the charges related to the time leading up to August 14 last year, when Backler had been arrested.

Analysis revealed 4,000 separate images had been obtained and stored by Backler.

Mr Rose said there was no suggestion that Backler had been involved in distributing the images.

The court heard that Backler told police that he served as a juror in a trial at Ipswich Crown Court in the 1990s and “just never got over the shock” of what he saw and had started collecting indecent images of children.

Mitigating, Archie McKay said Backler had no previous convictions.

He had indicated that he would be pleading guilty to all the charges at the earliest opportunity.

Judge Martyn Levett warned Backler that the volume of material made it was a “very serious matter.”

Judge Levett said all sentencing options would remain open until Backler returned to court to be sentenced on May 22.

Backler, who was ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register, will continue to be granted bail until his next court appearance.

May 2015

Maths student at Imperial College kept 30,000 child abuse images and mannequin of young boy

May 2015

Primary school teacher jailed for ‘vile’ sexual abuse of vulnerable 13-year-old boy

A PRIMARY school teacher has been jailed for the “vile and depraved” sexual abuse of a vulnerable 13-year-old boy from the Bradford area.

Jonathan Dooling, 31, was imprisoned for three years and eight months for a string of “disgusting” offences that included having sex with his male partner for the child to watch on a webcam and telling him to expose his bottom and to urinate in front of him.

Dooling pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to 13 offences involving the boy and one of voyeurism by secretly filming naked men in a gym changing rooms.

Judge Jonathan Rose said he was guilty of “the lowest form of disgusting behaviour.”

“A teacher should protect the welfare of those he comes into contact with, you just caused damage,” he told grey-haired Dooling, who wore a smart suit and tie for the sentencing hearing yesterday.

The judge said: “You were a primary school teacher at the time of these offences. The oldest child leaving your school was 11. This boy was 13. Barely two years older than the children you were teaching.

“This was an appalling catalogue of disgusting and vile behaviour towards, and involving, this child.”

Dooling admitted 13 offences against the boy:

1. Six charges of engaging in sexual activity with a child

2. Five counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity

3. Two charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity

All committed in October, 2010.

While on police bail, he filmed naked men in the changing rooms at a gym in York.

Prosecutor Matthew Bean said Dooling was arrested at the primary school where he worked, in March, 2011.

His computer was later seized and webcam footage of the boy, stored by Dooling for several years, discovered by the police.

Dooling, of Newborough Street, York, met the boy through the dating apps Grindr and Jacked, Mr Bean said.

The teacher had a boyfriend at the time and realised the child was only 13.

On the first webcam session, he told him: “Hey beautiful, you look amazing.”

Dooling pestered the boy to urinate in front of him and told him to show him his bottom.

Both he and the child performed sex acts on themselves.

Mr Bean said Dooling had sex with his male partner for the boy to watch on the webcam.

When the child urinated in a bottle in front of him, Dooling said: “Amazing, you’re a god.”

Dooling filmed partially clothed and naked men in the gym changing rooms and kept the moving images.

Mr Bean said that one was a married man who had suffered sleepless nights fearing the images might be distributed.

The boy’s father spoke in a statement of the family’s shock and horror when they realised he had been abused.

He had been sexually exploited by a large number of men but Dooling was one of the first.

The father accused the teacher of “the callous exploitation of a vulnerable child.”

Dooling had “driven an emotional wedge” between members of the family, he said.

Dooling’s solicitor advocate, Anne-Marie Hutton, said he had lost his good character and his career was over.

He felt genuine remorse and contrition.

Judge Rose ordered Dooling to sign on the sex offenders’ register and made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from working with children ever again.

May 2015

Paedophile told he will die in prison

AN ELDERLY paedophile who continually sexually assaulted and raped a young girl for almost a decade has been told he is likely to die in prison.

Judge David Owen-Jones told 77-year-old Brian Fairchild to put his affairs in order, as a “substantial” prison sentence was inevitable for his crimes

A young woman in the public gallery broke down and loved ones around her exclaimed “Yes!” under their breath as the jury at Basildon Crown Court found Fairchild, of Gordon Road, Corringham, guilty of six sexual assault charges and one of rape, committed between 1974 and 1982.

Mr Owen-Jones said: “A very substantial termof imprisonment is bound to follow.

“In terms of his age, good character and health, I require a pre-sentence report.

“Imprisonment is inevitable but I will allow him bail in the meantime, in case there are any doctor’s appointments he needs to keep. It also allows him – bearing in mind his age – to put his affairs in order.”

Turning to Fairchild, the judge said: “You knew the consequences. I told you, but I want a report before sentencing.”

Fairchild had denied the historic abuse, which began when his victim was just nine years old.

The jury unanimously found him guilty on all counts after a four-day trial.

Fairchild, who appeared dressed in a dark suit and tie, raised his eyebrows and gave a tight, resigned smile to a woman of similar age in the public gallery, as he left the court.

Mr Owen-Jones thanked the jury for their help with the case and invited them back to see Fairchild sentenced.

He told them: “You have tried this case with patience and tolerance and given it your full thought.

“In this country we don’t have a system with a judge sitting alone. We have a jury.

“This was an ideal case for a jury and I’m grateful for the way you have approaching this task.”

Fairchild will return to be sentenced on Friday, May 29.

April 2015

Jail for Ipswich man who had threesome involving 15-year-old girl and man chosen on Facebook

An Ipswich man who had sex with a “vulnerable” 15-year-old girl after meeting her at a party has been jailed for three years.

Liam Pratt, 23, gave the girl cannabis and on one occasion had a “threesome” with her and another man, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Pratt, of Spenser Road, admitted two offences of sexual activity with a child.

Jailing him for three years, Judge John Devaux said Pratt had consensual sex with the girl. “If you didn’t know her age on day one you knew it shortly afterwards,” the judge said. He said the girl has several health issues and he had no doubt her experiences with Pratt contributed to her difficulties.

Judge Devaux accepted Pratt had not targeted the girl or used cannabis to facilitate the offences.

In addition to jailing Pratt, Judge Devaux made him the subject of a sexual offences prevention order for seven years and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Marcus Croskell, for Pratt, said his client had been working at Felixstowe docks but lost his job after pleading guilty to the offences.

He said Pratt did not know the girl was only 15 when he had sex with her. He accepted Pratt should have walked away from the relationship once he realised her age.

He claimed the girl was a willing “threesome” participant and helped select the other man who took part on Facebook.

May 2015

Devon child abuser jailed for 14 years for grooming girl with vodka

A child abuser has been jailed for 14 years after he groomed a primary school pupil by bribing her with vodka and money.

Mark Stevens started abusing the girl when she was only 11 and carried on doing so for three years until she found the courage to tell her mother.

He then admitted everything and said he was driven by loneliness and sexual frustration, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Stevens, aged 43, of Wyndham Road, Silverton, admitted attempted rape, assault by penetration and sexual touching and was jailed for 14 years by Judge Simon Carr.

He told him:”This case shows the devastating effect of abuse of this sort. It will take the victim a very, very long time to address the problems she faces as a result of your actions.

“The aggravating features of this case are the abuse of her trust, the sustained nature of the offending, grooming, the use of alcohol and requiring the victim to watch pornography.”

Miss Eleanor Purkis, prosecuting, said the abuse started while the victim was still at primary school and continued until she was 14.

It happened when Stevens visited her home and when she went to the bedsit where he was living.

Miss Purkis said:”On at least one occasion he gave her a drink which she thought was vodka before abuse which lasted ten to 20 minutes. He watched pornography with her present.

“The last assault happened at his bedsit in July last year. She says she was scared and froze and when she tried to scream he covered her mouth to stop her. He gave her money and told her not to tell anyone what was happening.”

Mr Stephen Nunn, defending, said Stevens should be given credit for his extraordinary honesty to the police, which means he is more likely to respond to treatment.

He said he had admitted the offence at the earliest opportunity to spare the victim any worry about having to give evidence and shown true remorse.

May 2015

Man with 64,000 indecent child images is spared jail

A MAN caught with more than 64,000 indecent photographs of children on his computer has been spared jail.

Simon Hedges, of Orchard Way, Wheatley, received a community order yesterday [apr30] at Oxford Crown Court.

The 51-year-old admitted three counts of making indecent images of children between August 2008 and December 2013.

Prosecuting, Robert Salis, said police searched Hedges’ home on December 18, 2013, finding images on electronic storage devices. He told Judge Ian Pringle there were between 400 and 500 images that were in the most serious category, showing child abuse taking place.

The barrister said there were also images in a folder that could have been shared over the internet, but it was accepted that this was not deliberate.

Alistair Grainger, defending, said his client needed help tackling his “addiction” to looking at the images.

He said: “This is a man who does need some degree of help. One may liken it to alcoholism or an illness. It could be treated and could never come back.”

Judge Pringle told Hedges: “Possession of these types of images is a serious offence.

“Looking at these images creates a market, and you fed off that market.”

Hedges was given a two year community order, with a sex offenders’ treatment programme and supervision and was made subject to a sexual offences prevention order restricting the use of electronic devices to access the internet.

May 2015

Paedophile jailed again for sexually abusing girl

A HEREFORDSHIRE man has been sent to jail for sex offences – 40 years after he served time in prison for similar crimes.

Colin Grant, 75, of Oak Road, Credenhill, pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to four charges involving the same girl under 13 which took place in 2002.

Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting, told the court Grant initially denied the charges but changed his pleas early in the investigation.

Abigail Nixon, defending, said Grant now accepted responsibility for his behaviour.

His wife of nearly 30 years had left him as a result and, because she is disabled and he was her sole carer, she has had to move into sheltered accommodation.

Grant himself is in ill health after a heart attack and he walks with a stick due to arthritis, Miss Nixon told the court.

The court heard Grant had been given a 15-year sentence in June, 1975, for more serious sex offences.

Judge Toby Hooper, QC jailed Grant for three years each on the two indecent assault and two sexual assault charges, which will run concurrently.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order to run for 10 years and will have to register as a sex offender until further order