June 2008

Man jailed for “abuse campaign”

A County Armagh man has been jailed for 18 years after admitting raping one child and sexually abusing five others.

Noel Brendan Cooney, 57, from Springwell Gardens in Lurgan, pleaded guilty to 37 sex offences.

These include three of raping a girl, indecent assault and gross indecency upon a boy and four girls from 1989 to 1993.

The judge, who put Cooney on the sex offenders register for life, said he had carried out a “campaign” of abuse.

Craigavon Crown Court Judge Patrick Markey QC, said if he had been allowed to impose the sentence he wanted on each individual case of sex abuse, the jail term would have been “astronomical”.

“But the law says that cannot be done and I can see why and I have to abide by the law,” he added.

Earlier the judge described the abuse as “a deliberate campaign on your part and a betrayal of all the rules of morality and a breach of trust and friendship”.

He added that because of his “horrendous” abuse many of his victims “have been very grossly affected, because they wrongly blame themselves”.

Defence described Cooney as a “solitary and isolated loner” and accepted that he had “groomed” his victims.

February 2014

Pervert had vile child abuse images

A paedophile faces a lengthy prison sentence after being caught with a number of extreme child abuse videos

Felix Joachim Mullen, 32 of Mitchell street, pled guilty at the towns sheriff court this week to taking or permitting to be taken indecent images of children as his home between Dec 23th 2012 and March 3rd 2013

The depraved images were so graphic – some of which were children as young as six years old – that Mullen was remanded in custody incase he poses a risk to minors

The court heard that local police were tipped off about Mullens activities by international police monitoring his computer internet usage

Prosecutor Anne Hilley said: “Intelligence was received from INTERPOL that indecent images of children was being downloaded at Mullens home address”

“A search warrant was obtained and police attended and searched his home at 8am in the morning”

“Mullens was cautioned and a preview of his computer found indecent images of children”

“When taken to Coatbridge police office, he gave, “no comment” to a police interview

A further examination of his computer found 55 moving images of young girls aged between six and fourteen years old

Four of the images were at the lower end of the scale, with 46 at level 4, and 5 at the highest and most indecent level 

Sheriff Robert Dickson told Mullen, “In view of the gravity of the levels of these images, I am not prepared to allow your bail to continue and you will be remanded in custody”

Mullen will be sentenced next month after the sheriff called for a background check and a report to assess the risk he poses to children

February 2014

Driver offered 14-year-old girl money for sex in Little Lever

A MAN who cares full-time for his disabled wife has been given a suspended jail sentence for picking up a teenage runaway and offering her money for sex.

Ronald Clayton, aged 62, of Barrett Avenue, Kearsley, pulled up alongside the 14-year-old girl and asked her for directions to Little Lever.

Denise Fitzpatrick, prosecuting, told Bolton Corwn Court that Clayton was in Little Lever when he approached the girl on February 1, 2012.

The girl thought Clayton was a taxi driver and got into his car after he offered her a lift.

Ms Fitzpatrick said: “While she was in the car he asked her what her name was and asked for her phone number. She was frightened he might lock her in.

He asked whether she was 16. She said she was 14. He asked her if she liked sex and whether she needed any money. When she asked ‘why’ he told her if she helped him he could help her with money.”

The court heard yesterday how Clayton then asked the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, for sex or to perform a sex act on him.

She got out of the car and Clayton told her he would ring her.

Several days later he made 27 phone calls to her between February 4 and 7, 2012.

When he was arrested he said he thought it was in relation to an incident with a young prostitute he had paid.

Clayton denied inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, but was convicted by a jury following a five-day trial.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, suspended for two years.

Philip Parry, defending, said Clayton, who had no previous convictions, is the full-time carer for his ill wife.

Judge Timothy Clayson, sentencing, said: “Why did you commit this offence? It seems to me it’s come about as a result of a combination of factors in your personal life.

“You are the full-time carer for your seriously disabled wife.

“I believe this conviction will be a real deterrent to you.”

The sentence includes a two-year supervision requirement, and Clayton was also told to comply with a sexual offences prevention order for five years.

February 2014

Bar supervisor of possessing indecent images of children

A BAR supervisor at one of Hull’s best known nightclubs has been convicted of possessing indecent images of children, after a judge said he was too “arrogant” to accept a caution from police.

Thomas Buxton, 26, who has worked at The Welly for five years, was offered a caution by Humberside Police after nearly 300 indecent images of children were found on his mobile phone.

He rejected the offer and denied having anything to do with the pictures after they were discovered on a memory card by his girlfriend.

But a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of three counts of possessing indecent images of children after a three-day trial at Hull Crown Court.

He was criticised afterwards by Hull’s most senior judge, both for the costs of the case and for being too cowardly to admit the offences.

Judge Michael Mettyear, Honorary Recorder of Hull and the East Riding, was asking the defendant’s barrister, Steven Garth, why his client had not made any provision to pay any financial penalties arising from the case, when a tearful Buxton said from the dock: “I was expecting the right answer”.

“Don’t talk,” the judge reprimanded him, while ordering Buxton to pay the £1,500 prosecution costs of the case at £15 a week.

“Is it right that he was offered a caution?” the judge asked Mr Garth.

When told he was, Judge Mettyear shook his head then told Buxton: “There was no doubt whatsoever that it was you that did this and you just don’t have the guts to admit it to yourself or your parents.

“You were offered a caution by the police and you were arrogant enough to turn them down. You have put the country and the citizens to an awful lot of cost.”

The images were found when Buxton’s former girlfriend Samantha Bradley took the memory card out of his Samsung mobile phone and put it in another to see what it contained.

After initially seeing some adult pornography, she decided to call her mother after seeing up to 10 indecent images of “really young” children, and the pair then contacted police.

The card was examined by a police technical expert and found to contain 4,156 images in total.

Some were of Buxton and his family, but there were also more than 2,000 pictures of adult transsexual pornography, and 296 indecent images of children.

For more on this story click this link

February 2014: Gareth Smallwood now aged 35 years old is now wanted by police after breaking the terms of his sexual offences order by failing to report to probation

June 2013

Pervert who groomed and sexual assaulted schoolgirl walks free from court with a community order

A pervert who groomed a schoolgirl over a three month period which resulted in several sexual assaults has been sentenced

Gareth Smallwood, 33 of West Bromwich pleaded guilty to one offence of sexual assault against a child under 16 years old when he appeared before Burton magistrates court.

The installation and refrigeration technician was finally caught, when the schoolgirl found the courage to speak out. Smallwood groomed the girl over several months, gradually building to several sexual assaults, of which Smallwood admitted one offence

He was ordered to participate in community sex offender group work programme

He was disqualified from working with children for 5 years

Smallwood was placed on the sex offenders register for 5 years

He also received a five year restraining order 

And he was finally ordered to pay £500 compensation to the victim and £85 court costs

October 2013

Predator befriended family to abuse girls

A PAEDOPHILE was jailed for 10 years after his grown-up victims were encouraged to come forward following publicity surrounding the Jimmy Savile scandal. 

Kenneth Harding, who abused three young girls in Liverpool more than 30 years ago, has since been convicted of sex crimes in Australia, Thailand and Devon. 

Ian Harris, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Harding, 61, got to know his victims while working as a lifeguard at Butlins on Barry Island in Wales. 

He trained one girl in swimming and befriended her family. After they left he wrote to them and bought her an engraved bangle. 

They returned the next year and later Harding visited the family at their Liverpool home and began living nearby. He was trusted by the family and babysat for them. 

Unknown to them he began showing pornography to their older girl, then just 13, before sexually abusing and taking indecent photographs of her. When her friend called round one afternoon she was invited to join in their sexual activity and he then started regularly abusing her. 

Harding”s depraved behaviour against the girls only came to light after the first victim recently discovered that he had abused her younger sister, when she was aged seven and eight, and she also read the Jimmy Savile publicity. 

Harding, now of Torquay Road, Paignton, Devon, pleaded guilty to 16 offences involving indecent assault and indecency with a child. 

He is already the subject of an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order and must remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life. 

Judge David Aubrey, QC described Harding as “a paedophile who is sexually attracted to girls aged between eight and 10.” 

He added: “You do not believe the children you have irretrievably harmed to be victims.While there remains a Sexual Offences Prevention Order designed to protect young girls from you, you are in my assessment a dangerous and depraved individual and you continue to represent a significant risk to young girls.” 

December 2011

Father of five jailed for child rape

A Pervert has been jailed for 12 years for raping a young girl and other sexual abuse.

Shane Jordan was convicted of three charges of rape and three of sexual assault by a 10-2 majority.

The jury could not reach verdicts on one charge of rape and one of sexual assault and they were left on the court file.

The father-of-five, of Frittenden Road, Wainscott, denied all the charges, claiming the allegations were untrue.

Jordan, whose partner sat in the public gallery, wept as he asked a judge: “I know I have been found guilty, I have got to accept that. Will this affect me speaking to my children?”

Judge Jeremy Gold QC replied that his powers did not extend to dealing with such matters. “I am sure you will be given appropriate advice,” he added.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Jordan ignored his victim’s cries as he raped her.

Jordan, 27, admitted having sex with the victim but claimed it was with her consent when she was over 16.

Philip Sinclair, defending, said: “He has five children. He is not going to see them for some time, or even be allowed to speak to them.

“He loves his children and the effect is going to be almost intolerable for him.”

Judge Gold said the abuse started when Jordan was still in his teens.

The judge said he had to followed guidelines in passing sentence.

Jordan’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and he will be banned from working with children.

March 2010

Yarmouth man indecently assaulted boy

A former Great Yarmouth man received a suspended prison sentence today after he indecently assaulted a young boy in Norfolk 11 years ago.

Russell Lear, 45, was sentenced at Norwich Crown to a 51 week jail sentence, suspended for two years, after he had been earlier convicted of touching the boy.

The court heard it had been one off offence and that there had been no repetition of Lear’s behaviour since 1998.

Lear, who now lives in Surrey, was also ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work and was banned from ever working with children again.

February 2014

Tourist exposed himself to two teenage girls on a Newquay beach

A TOURIST followed two teenage girls on a Newquay beach and exposed himself to them.

At Truro Crown Court on Friday, 34-year-old Paul Lyons was described by one police officer as a “dangerous sex offender”.

Lyons, of Newthorpe Common, Nottingham, who represented himself at the hearing, had previously admitted to committing and act which outraged public decency.

Elaine Hobson, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the two girls, aged 12 and 16, were playing in the rock pools near the harbour in Newquay when they spotted Lyons, who was on holiday in Cornwall.

“They became aware of Mr Lyons who they say was following them from rock to rock,” she said.

“He was keeping a distance but gradually closing in on them.”

The girls saw that the man was exposing himself.

The court heard Lyons had previous convictions for similar offences of indecent exposure in 2001, sexual activity in the presence of a child in 2006 and breaching a sexual offences prevention order in 2012.

Judge John Neligan said: “What does trouble me [is that one police officer in Nottingham said] Lyons is indeed one of the most dangerous sex offenders my team and I have managed.”

Lyons was given a three-year community order with three years’ supervision by the probation service.

He was ordered to carry out a community sex offenders’ programme and pay £400 towards the costs of the prosecution.

He was also made the subject of a new sexual offences prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders’ register.

January 2008

Choirmaster admits sexually assaulting boy

A CHOIRMASTER who got a sexual thrill from spanking an 11-year-old boy chorister has been banned from working with children for the rest of his life.

Christopher Ebbs, 37, put the boy over his knee and spanked him with a slipper, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Aeronautical engineer Ebbs filmed the spanking on DVD – and when his marriage later broke up his wife handed the video evidence to police.

Ebbs, of Main Road, Woodford, Berkeley, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the boy between October 31, 2006 and July 12, 2007.

After hearing that Ebbs had already spent three and a half months in custody after his arrest – and that he had been beaten up by two men in a revenge attack on Christmas Day – Judge Jamie Tabor QC allowed him to walk free from court.

The judge, who had watched the DVD of the incident in private, sentenced Ebbs to three years’ supervision with a condition that he undergoes a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Ebbs, who sat clutching a Bible in the dock throughout the hearing, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years – and he was banned from working with children in any capacity for the rest of his life.

“That means no more choirs with children in them,” the judge told Ebbs

The court heard that Ebbs, who has a music degree from the Royal School of Music, ran one of England’s largest junior choirs.

Ebbs had converted a room at his home for choir instruction and children would go there for tuition and to try on chorister outfits, said prosecutor Robert Davies.

He said the boy whom Ebbs spanked had been a member of the choir.

“On one occasion there appears to have been a reasonably straightforward music lesson, which you have seen on the film,” Mr Davies told the judge.

“At some stage in that, however, there was mention by Mr Ebbs that the boy needed a good slapping when he had done something marginally wrong.”

Judge Tabor said he noticed in the film that the boy had found a pair of handuffs and produced them to which Ebbs asked ‘Do you want handcuffs?’ Mr Davies went on “Your Honour sees that then, essentially, the boy is over Mr Ebbs’ knee, his cassock is pulled up and he is being hit on the bottom with a slipper for 20 to 30 seconds.”

The judge said “This was not a thrashing as I remember from school. It was more a playful slapping. Certainly, the little boy was not hurting – he appeared to be laughing.”

Mr Davies agreed “It doesn’t look like the boy is being punished for anything. It seems to have been done for other reasons. At one point Mr Ebbs says ‘You are supposed to say Ow or something.

“Mr Ebbs accepts that his behaviour became sexual.”

The offence came to light, said the prosecutor, when Ebbs had ‘serious matrimonial problems’ and separated from his wife – who then provided police with the video.

When Ebbs’ computer hard drive was checked by police experts evidence was found of his interest in ‘violent bondage as part of his adult sex life,’ said Mr Davies.

The computer showed he had made internet searches for websites involved with bondage, chains, and caning, he said.

Ignatius Hughes, mitigating, said Ebbs’ choirs had starred in cathedral concerts and on BBC TV.

“He ran a well known, well respected and highly competent choir,” Mr Hughes said. “He holds a degree in music from the Royal School of Music.

“There have been witnesses who have made statements suggesting that the whole thing was a charade and a Mickey Mouse choir but nothing could be further from the truth and the Crown accepts that.

“You are dealing with a man who has worked with choirs for 15 years and not just children’s choirs. He has worked also with adults.”

Mr Hughes said Ebbs was a man of previous good character who had now lost his job in an aeronautical career and was unlikely ever to have such work again because he would not get Ministry of Defence security clearance following his conviction.

He would also be stopped from carrying on his choir work, having provided ‘an extremely admirable activity for children, very often underprivileged children,’ the barrister added.

“He has taught them how to achieve and has succeeded in giving a sense of worth to a great many people,” said Mr Hughes.

“This man has given an awful lot to his community.”

The offence happened at a time when Ebbs was stressed by his long working hours both with the choir and his job, he said.

“He accepts of course that he has certain predilections and doesn’t for a moment go behind that.”

Mr Hughes said that during the lesson with the boy Ebbs accepted that his ‘motivation became sexual.’ But the spanking was with clothes on and there was no direct contact with sexual organs, he said.

The boy himself had not even remembered the incident when he was asked about it by police, he added.

Ebbs was genuinely ashamed of what he had done and had already paid a high price by serving the equivalent of a seven month jail term when he was remanded in custody, said Mr Hughes.

“On Christmas Day he was assaulted badly outside his own home, dragged into a nearby outbuilding and kicked very badly by two men. He has two broken ribs, dislocated hip, bruises all over his body.

“He was taken to Frenchay Hospital because of worries about a head injury. He had a very large lump to the back of his head.

“Something was said during the assault which made it plain the men had an interest in this case.

“The assault has not been reported to the police. He does not seek criminal or any retribution at all.”

Passing sentence, the judge told Ebbs that he ignored other charges against him of voyeurism and sexual assault on a girl in the USA because he had denied them and they had not been proceeded with by the Crown.

“You are to be sentenced simply for spanking a 10-year-old inappropriately and obtaining sexual gratification from it,” said the judge.

Judge Tabor said he abided by Ebbs’ own basis of plea, accepted by the prosecution.

The basis of plea said Ebbs had run a well respected and highly competent choir, held a degree from the RSM and had organised choirs for 15 years.

“At the time of the offence you had been working many hours, your marriage was breaking up and you were under stress.

“You do have an interest in mild bondage in your adult sexual life. On this occasion, while chastisting this particular child, the touching became sexual. But your motivation in running the choir was entirely bona fide.”

The judge told Ebbs “You were giving this young man a music test, both vocal and sight reading. That is what took up most of the time in the film I watched.

“At the end of that this young man lay across your knees and you spanked him mildly with a slipper. It certainly was not a spanking which hurt him.

“He was giggling throughout it as far as I could tell. But you undoubtedly, as you accept, obtained a degree of sexual gratification from it.”

The seriousness of the offence, said the judge, was that the boy was very young and that it was in breach of trust.

“Parents throughout Gloucestershire had entrusted both male and female children into your hands to be taught to sing and to appreciate music and it is a betrayal of them as well as that young man which is the seriousness of this offence,” Judge Tabor said.

“They will undoubtedly feel ‘I wonder what he did to our little boy or little girl’ as well. It was a considerable breach of trust and one which cannot be ignored.”

The judge said he would not pass a prison term, however, because Ebbs’ time in custody on remand was already longer than the guideline sentence for the offence.

The most effective thing, he said, was to make orders which would prevent Ebbs coming into contact with children again as well as making him address his offending.

After the hearing, however, the boy’s father said: “I would have liked to see him jailed for longer for what he did. The sentence should have been harsher.

“It’s not true that my son was unaffected by this. He is now emotionally charged. Before this happened he was a very quiet and subdued young man with a very caring nature but this has made him erratic in his behaviour.

“He won’t talk to us about what happened. I am seeking counselling for him and for another of my children who has also been affected by this.”

February 2014

Police find thousands of indecent images of children after raiding home of divorced man, 62

A divorced man who was caught with thousands of child sexual abuse images has been sent for a treatment programme.

Gerrald Harrison, from East Cleveland, told police who raided his home that he lived alone and that all the computer equipment and pictures belonged to him.

They will now all be destroyed under a Teesside Crown Court order.

The 62-year-old, who has been divorced for 28 years, was said to have been remarkably candid with police when he was arrested at his Redcar home on May 31, 2012.

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs said that he told police that they would find more than 1,000 indecent images of children stored on the computers and DVDs.

There were 4,227 indecent photographs in total.

Graham Brown, defending, said that Harrison had no previous convictions.

He added: “It is his candour with the police which is unusual and something from which the court may draw some confidence in a liaison with the Probation Service and a sexual offender’s treatment programme.”

The judge told Harrison that an immediate prison sentence would mean he was released within months without supervision.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC said: “Without people like you there would not be a a market for such images.”

Harrison, formerly of Micklow Close, Redcar, and now of Abingdon Road, Easington, Saltburn, was given a 10-month jail sentence suspended for two years with supervision, an internet sex offender treatment programme for two years, a sexual offences prevention order indefinitely restricting his Internet use and contact with children, and he was ordered to register as a Sex Offender for 10 years, and the images and computer equipment will be destroyed.

He pleaded guilty to 19 charges of making and possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography.

February 2014

Sittingbourne guitar teacher jailed after admitting molesting girl of 14

A Sittingbourne guitar teacher has been jailed after he molested a school girl and downloaded child sex abuse images.

Luke Davis, said to be from a strong Christian background, was in his early 30s and the girl was 14 when he groped her, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

The teenager was reluctant to support a prosecution against the musician until she was told about the indecent material found on his computer

January 2014

Man admits child abuse images offences

A FORMER Winchester man has admitted offences of possessing and making indecent photographs of children.

Timothy Millender, 31, pleaded guilty to eight charges of making indecent photos and two of possessing them, totalling 740 images.

The offences occurred between October 2010 and April 2013, Basingstoke Magistrates Court heard.

Millender, now of Redbarn Lane, Fareham, was remanded on unconditional bail for sentencing at Winchester Crown Court on January 17.

February 2014

Man guilty of possession of child abuse images found hanged 

A Burnley man due to be sentenced in the town’s crown court on Friday was found hanged at home.

Christopher Lyons (66) was found on Friday morning by police at his home in Ardwick Street, after he failed to appear at court.

He had pleaded guilty to five charges of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing images, one count of possession of an extreme image, and one charge of breaking a sexual offences prevention order.

An inquest will be opened and adjourned this week.

February 2014

Man jailed for eight years for sex offences against girls

A MAN has been jailed for eight years for sexually abusing young girls.

Michael Bowen, aged 58, of Redstone Close, Church Hill, Redditch, denied 10 charges of indecent assault and gross indecency involving three victims.

The former taxi driver found guilty of eight charges in relation to two of the girls, and sentenced on Monday at Worcester Crown Court to serve a total of eight years in prison.

The offences happened in the Woodrow area of the town in the 1980s when the girls, who were known to Bowen, were aged between nine and 15.

Detective Constable Andy Baxter of West Mercia Police said: “Bowen put these young girls through a terrible ordeal over a long period, which shattered their innocence and their trust in adults.

“I would like to praise the victims for their courage in coming forward and reliving the traumatic events of some 30 years ago.

“They have now moved out of the area and made a new start in another part of the country and we hope the guilty verdicts will help them to move on emotionally as well.

“We also hope they can take comfort in the substantial sentence which has been imposed, knowing that Bowen has been punished for what he did to them, and that other children are protected from him.”

February 2014

‘Lonely’ man accessed child abuse images

A man who accessed indecent videos and images of children had been lonely and bored, a court was told.

Michael McKeown told police when questioned that he had been looking for adult pornography and suggested he may have accidentally clicked onto other material and had not been sure of the contents due to an eye problem.

The 54-year-old of Spencer Court, Blackpool was placed on three years supervision, which will include an internet sex offenders treatment programme.

McKeown will be on the sex offenders register for five years and also subject to a sexual offenders prevention order for the same time period.

The judge passing sentence on him at Preston Crown Court told him “This is a significant fall from grace”.

The defendant had pleaded guilty to 14 counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said police executed a search warrant at McKeown’s address in January last year.

Two laptops and a portable hard drive were seized, as well as DVDs. Thirty five still images at level one, the least serious category, were found. There were three images at level three and one at level four was recovered from the hard drive.

Police also recovered a number of video clips.

During police questioning the defendant tried to suggest the discs had been posted through his letterbox.

He was a man of previous good character.

Chris Hudson, defending, said that although courts and society took a dim view of such offending, the case involved a limited number of images.

Sometimes courts dealt with cases involving tens of thousands of images, he added.

The children in the images looked about 12 to 14 years of age. Mr Hudson added “The defendant is a damaged individual and is vulnerable.”

February 2014

Man admits possessing indecent images of children

A man who admitted having nearly 50,000 indecent images of children has been sent for sentence to the Crown Court.

David Thomas, 66, pleaded guilty to four offences of making or possessing the images at Houghton between 2007 and 2013.

He admitted making, 37,019 indecent pictures of children, making 3,243 images, possessing 8,747 images and possessing 171 images.

Giles Beaumont, prosecuting, asked magistrates at Huntingdon to send the case to Crown Court for sentence.

He said Thomas was a man of previous good character.

Thomas, of Hawthorn Rise, Haverfordwest, was released on unconditional bail and was also put on the Sex Offender Register.

February 2014

Sexual predator who preyed on young girl jailed for 17 years

A sexual predator who preyed on a young girl while telling her such depraved acts were normal was jailed for 17 years.

Sick Alen Burrows was described as being like “a child in a sweet shop” as he repeatedly assaulted a girl below the age of ten.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he would tickle her stomach before then going on to rape her.

He also forced his victim to inspect his body with a torch.

That particular perversion came back to haunt him as his victim was later able to describe intimate details of his body to jurors. Burrows, of Withens Road, Lydiate, was arrested and charged with more than 20 sexual offences but denied them all.

He was eventually found guilty at a trial in January.

Reading a statement by his victim Andrew Ford, prosecuting, said the abuse “made her very private” and “very angry” and that she had sought counselling.

Desmond Lennon, defending, said Burrows, 64, came from a law abiding family and had led a law abiding life.

He added that he was in poor health because of high blood pressure and had had his gall bladder removed.

Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said: “You have been convicted of a multiplicity of offences on what appears to me to be clear and compelling evidence. She was totally vulnerable.

“When she confronted you you told her nobody would believe her and she had wanted it to happen. This must have horrified that young girl.

“When she did finally come forward you denied everything and have persistently denied any wrongdoing from that day to this.

“I shudder to consider what your wife must think wondering, who it is she was married to all these years.”

Judge Menary jailed Burrows for 17 years for rape, 14 years for attempted rape, five years for half a dozen indecent assaults and four years for more than a dozen charges of indecency with a child for a total of 17 years.

He also made him subject to the notification requirements for sex offenders and barred him from having contact with children or vulnerable adults.

He added: “I hope the victim will now realise that people did believe her, and I am thinking of the jury, when she said all of this happened.”

February 2014

Guilt-ridden pensioner who abused schoolgirls 30 years ago handed himself in following Jimmy Savile scandal

A pervert pensioner has been jailed for a string of historic child sex crimes after being inspired to hand himself into cops – by the warped crimes of JIMMY SAVILE.

Peter Owen admitted the 30-years of offences against schoolgirls after he was overcome by guilt after listening to the harrowing accounts given by the victims of the dead DJ.

A court heard the two indecent assaults would never have come to light if the 67-year-old had not handed himself into police.

Owen pleaded guilty to both the attacks at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Tuesday and was caged for three-and-a-half years.

Judge Paul Glenn told him: “I am satisfied that you are remorseful for what you did.

“You displayed that with your cooperation with the authorities.

“When you committed the first offence, the victim was young but so were you.

“In isolation that wouldn’t lead to custody but with the other offence you were an adult and that was premeditated.

“The offences spanned over a period of time targeting young vulnerable victims.

“I have already mentioned your guilty pleas but the other strong mitigation is that you brought this to the attention of the police.

“Without this, it is unlikely these allegations would have surfaced.”

Catherine O’Reilly, defending, told the court Owen was “distraught” when he found out his victims had to give a statement to police after his revelation.

She said: “Owen pleaded guilty but if it wasn’t for the remorse he felt, these crimes would have never come to light.

“The Jimmy Savile case had prompted him to confess to the police on numerous occasions.

“The victims, to some degree, managed to get over those crimes and put them behind them and in some cases it was an unhappy moment when they were reminded of these crimes when Owen contacted the police.

“He is distraught by the crimes.

“One of the moments he was at his lowest was when he found out the victims had been interviewed and had to give a statement.

“In his mind, telling the police would have put a final say to the matter and he would pay for the crimes.

“He hadn’t thought about them going through the events again.

“His guilt has affected his everyday actions and he called the police to confess to the crimes.

“The matters are from some age and it is a unique case.

“Owen is now a man of 67 years of age and any custodial sentence is difficult but he is prepared for that.”

Former BBC presenter Savile is believed to have abused hundreds of victims at the height of his fame.

Allegations he had sexually abused children surfaced a year after the Top Of The Pops and Jim’ll Fix It star died in October 2011 aged 84.

The revelations prompted hundreds of victims to come forward, including those who said they were attacked at a number of institutions.

Inquiries into Savile’s alleged abuse of patients at NHS hospitals had originally focused on Broadmoor and Stoke Mandeville and Leeds General Infirmary, with a further 10 trusts added in January.

February 2014

Paedophile’s ‘campaign’ to sleep with teen

A PAEDOPHILE befriended a teenage girl on Facebook and persuaded her to have sex with him after buying her expensive gifts.

Philip Phillips, aged 51, bought the girl clothes, hair extensions and two mobile phones in a “persistent campaign” to get her to sleep with him.

She eventually relented, Swansea Crown Court heard, and went to his house.

Phillips was subject to notification requirements — where police can visit to check on him — after previously being convicted of rape and sexual assault in 1997 and jailed for nine years.

Those offences were committed in Plymouth.

When officers performed a check at his home in Maes yr Yrfa in Crymych they found the messages to the girl on his Facebook account.

They also found 41 indecent images of children, one indecent film and 200 images of extreme pornography showing people and animals.

Prosecutor Dyfed Thomas told Swansea Crown Court Phillips had messaged the girl asking for pictures of her and her friends and said he had invited to go to his house alone a number of times.

He described it as a “persistent campaign”.

Geraint Walters, for Phillips, said his client knew he should expect a lengthy custodial sentence.

He said his client had been involved in a road accident and said there were obvious effects of that in his behaviour.

Phillips admitted engaging in sexual activity with a child, possessing indecent images of children and images of extreme pornography.

Judge Keith Thomas said Phillips had shown “sexually deviant behaviour” and that he had persuaded the girl to have sex with him by buying “substantial” gifts.

He said he would impose a sentence including an extended licence period because he felt Phillips should be classed as a dangerous offender.

He said he believed there was a significant risk of him committing serious harm to other young girls.

Phillips was given an immediate term of five years and an extra five years on extended licence.