February 2014

Langport pervert trapped by US authorities spared jail

A PERVERT who watched and distributed extreme pornography on the internet has today (Friday, February 21) been spared jail because of his age and background.

Police were tipped off by US authorities after Nicholas Gilliam, 22, of Thorney, Langport, downloaded hundreds of indecent photos of children and several videos on his laptop.

Gilliam, who had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a total of 15 charges of making and possessing indecent images, also chatted on-line with “like-minded individuals”, Taunton Crown Court heard.

Harry Ahuja, prosecuting, said after Gilliam’s computer was seized by police, a further 41 images and five movies involving “extreme sexual activity with animals and females” were discovered.

Virginia Cornwall, defending, said Gilliam, who is bisexual, had received glowing references from members of his community and is hard-working.

She added: “He’s deeply ashamed, remorseful and humiliated by what he’s done.”

Judge Graham Hume Jones handed Gilliam a two year prison sentence suspended for two years, with a supervision order, including attending a sex offenders’ programme.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and given a ten-year sexual offences provision order barring him from working with children.

Gilliam, who had no previous convictions, must also do 200 hours unpaid work in the community and pay a £100 victim surcharge and £300 costs.

The judge said a prison term “would be ruining your future” and allowed Gilliam to walk free from court due to his age and respectable background and education.

The judge added: “The people who make these films and take these pictures are involved in very serious abuse of children.

“I have read the description of the category five movie – children were being abused in the most disgusting and painful way.

“By signing up to acquire these images, you are adding to the market in which these people who abuse children make their money and that encourages them in their abuse of children.”

February 2014

Lorry driver groomed teenage girl after he dialled wrong number

A highly dangerous sex offender groomed a 15-year-old stranger after contacting her by accident when he dialled a wrong number.

John Simpson was already subject to a sweeping Sexual Offences Protection Order (SOPO) when he started sending inappropriate texts to the vulnerable teenager.

A court was told the girl, whose parents had recently split up, was emotionally fragile and was being groomed by Simpson, 48.

Mr Simpson kept sending texts to the girl after being told her age and even sent her his name and address despite being under a strict ten-year ban from contact with any female under-21.

Simpson, Rae Place, Perth, admitted having sexual communication with a 15-year-old girl by sending her texts between November 1 and December 1 last year.

Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson told Perth Sheriff Court: “The young lady was 15 and living with her grandparents. Her parents had split up in acrimonious circumstances and she was displaying behavioural issues.

“She was allowed to be the owner of a mobile phone. I don’t know how on earth the accused got her number but he did get it and started to send her texts.

“These were originally of a chatty nature, but as time went on they began to change in tone and he was asking if she was fat or skinny.”

His questioning became more intimidate. The fiscal added: “When asked later why she hadn’t told anybody, she said she regarded the accused as just another pervert.

“Eventually the matter was reported to the police. During the exchanges she had advised the accused she was 15, but at a later point advised him she was 18.”

Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, said Simpson had never met the girl and did not know where she lived, and had only got in touch with her by chance.

“The initial contact came about because he telephoned a number for a friend and instead of the last digit being one, he pressed three in error, and came into contact with the girl.

“He wholly accepts the young lady was only 15. When she said she was 15 he texted her with his full name, address and telephone number and advised her to contact the police.

“You will see from his record he was already under police supervision. He doesn’t excuse his conduct, because he accepts that whatever age she was, he shouldn’t have been sending these texts and she wasn’t looking for them.

“He has been exceptionally concerned and frightened about the potential outcome of this case – and rightly he should be.”

Sheriff William Wood noted that Simpson’s behaviour had been “reckless” and deferred sentence upon him for the preparation of reports until April.

Simpson was made the subject of a SOPO in October 2007 after a sheriff ruled that he posed a serious danger and particularly targeted naive and immature women.

The lorry driver was banned from having solo contact with any woman or girl under 21 for a decade and jailed after he admitted going back and abusing his former victim.

The same court heard how Simpson sexually abused the same person 13 years later after she plucked up the courage to go to his home and confront him about the earlier attack.

At that time, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis, said: “It seems that you constitute a considerable and ongoing risk.”

February 2014

Helston pensioner convicted of child abuse and rape

A Helston pensioner has been jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of indecent assault on young girls and rape.

Terrence Williams, from Trengrouse Way, faced eight counts of indecent assault on a female under the age of 14, and four counts of rape.

The 68-year-old was convicted by a jury at Truro Crown Court yesterday, when the judge sentenced him to 16 years behind bars.

Williams, a former electrical fitter’s mate at RNAS Culdrose, was accused of 12 counts of indecently assaulting and raping a girl between 1988 and 1996.

The woman, who is now in her 30s, contacted police in May 2012. She told the court the abuse started when she was aged under-10 and it continued for a number of years.

February 2014

Shefford man jailed for sexual assault on seven-year-old boy

A man has been jailed after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old boy.

James Emmerton, 29, of Pinemead in Shefford, was given a two-and-a-half year jail sentence on Monday for the sexual assault, which occurred in July 2012.

Emmerton had pleaded not guilty in relation to the incident that took place at his home address when a number of children had been in his house playing computer games.

During the trial, which took place at Luton Crown Court, the jury were told that Emmerton had taken the victim – now aged 9 – into his bedroom and sexually assaulted him and only stopped when he heard other people walking up the stairs.

It took three months for the victim to disclose the details of the attack to his parents who immediately called Bedfordshire Police.

The jury found Emmerton guilty of sexual assault on the boy and on Monday he was jailed for 30 months and given a 10-year Sex Offenders Prevention Order.

DC Clare Steel-Jessop from Bedfordshire Police said: “First and foremost I want to praise the victim who came forward in very difficult circumstances to tell his parents about the sexual assault that he suffered. If it hadn’t have been for his bravery then Emmerton could still be a free man.

“Sexual assault on a child is a terrible crime and Bedfordshire Police continues to do everything possible to identify offenders and bring them to justice. I hope that this conviction and sentence goes some way to show victims of sexual assault that they will be believed and action can be taken.

“I would urge any victim of sexual abuse to show courage and report what has happened to them by calling Bedfordshire Police or speaking to their parents, family, friends or teachers so they can get the help and support that they need.”

Anyone with information relating to sexual abuse or any other crime should contact Bedfordshire Police by calling the 101 number or by ringing Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

February 2014

Babysitter had sex with 12-year-old on day she aborted their unborn child

A babysitter raped a 12-year-old girl, making her pregnant, before having sex with her again the day she aborted their unborn child.

Jason Johnson, of Kings Terrace, Isleworth, was yesterday (February 20) at Kingston Crown Court jailed for nine years after admitting two counts of rape and one of sex with an underage girl.

The court heard how the 30-year-old raped the schoolgirl, who had drunk a bottle of vodka after arguing with her mother, while her two younger brothers slept in the next room one evening in September 2012.

He raped her again a few days later, before having sex with her a third time shortly after she aborted the foetus at about eight weeks.

Sentencing him, Judge Susan Tapping said: “You abused the trust placed in you by the girl’s mother by raping her while she was under the influence of alcohol.

“(On the day she had her abortion) you told her it was her fault and quite unbelievably had sex with her again. That demonstrates how utterly selfish and manipulative you are in your behaviour.”

Ms Tapping added that the girl had been told she may not be able to have a child in future.

Gareth Munday, prosecuting, told the court the girl had drunk so much she was drifting in and out of consciousness when he raped her the first time.

“She attempted to close her legs and she recalls him putting his knees between her legs to stop her. She said ‘no’ again and he said ‘it’s fine’,” said Mr Munday.

When she told him she might he pregnant, he ‘blocked her out’ before trying to school her in what to say should police find out.

“Having terminated the baby, on that day they had sex again. She explained how painful it was and said she couldn’t continue. He said it was all her fault,” added Mr Munday.

Anthony Wilcken, defending, said that although Johnson was convicted in 2008 for arson and theft, he had no record of sexual offences.

Johnson was questioned by police but denied the allegations and it was nearly a year before his victim cooperated with officers and he was charged. He eventually pleaded guilty on his third appearance at court, before it came to trial.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison for each rape and six years for the third count, all to run concurrently. He was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, banning him for life from working with children.

February 2014

Solicitor posed as American ‘surfer dude’ on internet to exploit girl, 13

A solicitor posed as a teenage American “surfer dude” on the internet to persuade a 13-year-old girl to strip for him.

The unsuspecting girl followed text instructions from 34-year-old Joseph Henry Fyles to pose in front of a webcam in her Leicestershire bedroom.

She could not see Fyles, who showed her a photo of an unknown suntanned, blond-haired youth.

He claimed to be 16, living in America and used the false name Haydn Baines.

Alan Murphy, prosecuting during a hearing at Leicester Crown Court, said: “He posed as a blond American surfer dude on a website and they made contact in 2011, moving from the chat room to text contact, via MSM messenger and Skype, although there was never vocal contact.

“Their chat became sexual and he encouraged her to remove her clothing, exposing herself to him, which she did.”

The matter came to the attention of the victim’s school and police were contacted.

Fyles was warned by the girl police were on his trail, the court was told.

However, he still went on to persuade at least two other girls of a similar age to expose themselves to him via the internet. Videos of the victims were found on his computer.

Fyles, who was a family lawyer for the National Youth Advocacy Service, in Merseyside, admitted five counts of inciting the 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity, in front of the webcam, between August 2011 and December 2012.

Mr Murphy said: “Following his arrest, police contacted his employer but there were no concerns with him at work.

“It’s an organisation set up to assist vulnerable adults and children.”

Fyles, now of Delta Road, Cobham, Surrey, also admitted downloading child pornography from the internet, as well as making indecent images of children, by downloading them or filming girls using webcams.

These related to 150 images and clips at level one, 50 at level two and one at level four.

All featured girls aged between 13 and 15. There were no images in the most serious category, level five.

Fyles was sentenced to a three-year community order, with supervision, and ordered to undergo a sex offender treatment programme.

Sentencing, Judge Michael Pert said: “You enticed this young girl to be very stupid on her part for your sexual gratification.

“You lied to her to get her to do your bidding. That’s exploitation.

“Girls like her need to be protected from themselves, as well as exploiters.”

Trevor Parry-Jones, mitigating, said Fyles had little self-confidence and was socially unsuccessful.

He confessed to his family and voluntarily sought treatment to ensure it never happened again, the court was told.

Mr Parry-Jones said: “He resigned and his legal career has gone. There’s no chance of him being involved in the profession. He’s now working as a barman.

“He’s appalled by what he’s done and remorseful.”

Fyles was placed on a sex offences prevention order, restricting his future computer use, which will be monitored by the authorities.

He will have to enlist on a sex offender register for five years and is barred from working with children.

February 2014

Pervert had 33,000 indecent images of children – Given probation order

A sex offender caught with child abuse images has been urged to consider how he would feel if a relative had been abused so perverts could watch it on film.

Judge John Burgess made the comment at Derby Crown Court this month after over 33,000 images – including movies – were found when police raided the home of Thomas Perkins, 58, of Wilson Street, Dronfield.

A three-year probation order was imposed on Perkins, who must attend a sex offenders’ programme and must make his computer available for police checks.

Judge John Burgess told him: “You have pleaded guilty to downloading pictures and movies most right-thinking people think are absolutely disgusting. They are also incredibly damaging to you and far worse to all the children who have been abused in the making of those movies and pictures. Just imagine if your little sister, or someone like that, was being abused for the gratification of people. You would want them punished.”

Perkins admitted five counts of downloading indecent images of children between April 2004 and February 2013.

The judge said Perkins could have been sent to prison but the treatment was more constructive.

Mrs Annette Thomas, mitigating, said Perkins has never been in trouble before and co-operated with police.

Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said police raided the home on February 19 last year and discovered the images. Some involved children aged between six and eight.

Miss Allen said “He said he searched for teens, over 16s, looking for adult pornography and if he received younger age material he immediately deleted it. He said he received sexual gratification from looking at 16 to 17-year-old girls but not younger children.”

March 2012

SEX BEAST MARK GARDNER REMOVED AFTER COURIER EXPOSE

A CHILD molesting pervert exposed by CowalCourier.com this morning as living just yards from Kirn Primary School has been removed from his home by police.

Mark Gardner locked up his house shortly before 2pm this afternoon before being driven away in an unmarked car by an officer in plain clothes.

We told exclusively how the 23-year-old deviant had been living in a run-down bolthole a stone’s throw from the school after being released from prison.

But we can now reveal that Gardner – who molested young boys in toilets – also used the alias of ‘Struan Kintyre’ on Facebook to post pictures of himself.

He was jailed at Dumbarton Sheriff Court for 14-and-a-half months in July 2010 for his vile offences against boys aged just nine and 12.

Outraged parents today hit out as to why Gardner had been allowed to live so close to Kirn Primary without their knowledge.

One mum posted on Facebook: “What the hell is happening to this town and right next to a primary school!!!!!!! Good to see the police have removed him BUT to where that is the question…..

“And to think my son goes to that school and we had no knowledge of it, I know there are probably loads of them in the town but how the hell did one get to be that close to a school?

“It’s disgusting and one that terrifies me, my son and other kids will not be safe when perverts are loose and walking the streets.”

Gardner – who claims he was abused as a child – sexually assaulted his 12-year-old victim in the toilet of an Asda store in Dumbarton in February 2010, by going up behind the boy and touching his private parts.

Gardner also admitted an almost identical offence against a nine-year-old boy in the toilet of a McDonald’s restaurant in Glasgow just days earlier.

In that assault his young victim tried to hide his private parts when he noticed Gardner staring at him – but the deviant still approached and groped him.

Gardner admitted both attacks when interviewed by police and also later in court.

He had previously been placed on probation at Dunoon Sheriff Court for a number of offences, including assaulting another child.

His case at Dumbarton Sheriff Court was held up several times because he refused to communicate with psychologists.

Gardner’s defence lawyer, Joanne Mortimer, reportedly explained at the time that her client had “learning difficulties” and found it hard to speak about his crimes.

She told the court: “I think it’s fair to say, and Mr Gardner acknowledges this, that the reports will cause some considerable concern.

“In particular, Mr Gardner clearly hasn’t co-operated fully in the preparation of the doctors report.

“He finds it difficult to discuss these matters with people who he hasn’t had the opportunity of building a relationship with.

“Certainly in my dealings with Mr Gardner, I have found that to be the case as well.”

The lawyer said that Gardner had shown remorse for his offences, adding: “He is aware of the impact these actions have had on the children involved and their families.

“He has said to me that he is aware that the families will be very angry and the children will be upset and that his actions will impact on them for a considerable time.

“Mr Gardner appreciates that the offences to which he has pled guilty most certainly justify lengthy custodial sentences.

“Public safety is a consideration and that would certainly be served by the imposition of a period in custody, but it’s unlikely to get to the root cause of Mr Gardner’s offending behaviour.”

Sheriff Simon Fraser told Gardner: “I am satisfied that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.

“You have been placed already on probation by a sheriff in Dunoon for, among other things, assaulting a child.

“These offences are very serious breaches of those probation orders.”

Gardner confirmed who he was when CowalCourier.com spoke to him yesterday but refused to talk about his crimes before slamming his door shut.

Strathclyde Police don’t comment on how individual perverts are monitored within communities.

But a spokeswoman said: “Sex offenders are monitored in the community under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements ( MAPPA ) which involve the police service, local authorities, the NHS, Scottish Prison Service and other partners.

“None of the partners engaged in MAPPA will comment on specific cases or individuals.

“The management of sex offenders in the community is a particularly sensitive and complex area of work.

“Public safety is always the main priority in all cases. Whilst it remains the main priority, a balance is required between public safety and the right of the individual.

“All aspects of cases are carefully considered at every stage of the process, from psychological and risk assessments to places of residence and potential security issues.

“A number of measures can be put in place to manage offenders in the community and these are monitored by dedicated police officers and officials from partner organisations.”

February 2014

Sandhurst man found guilty of child sex charge

A man who was convicted of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity is due to be sentenced next month

Steven Purchase, of Severn close, Sandhurst was convicted of the charge involving a child who was under the age of 13 years old following a trial at Reading crown court

The 36-year-old previously admitted to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child who was under the age of 13 years old

Following the trial he was discharged from one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault on a child who was aged under 13 years old

Purchase will now be sentenced on March 21st at Reading crown court

January 2014

Pervert jailed for abusing young boy

A 21 year old pervert has been jailed for just 18 months for sexually assaulting a four year old boy on three separate occasions

Marcus Proctor, originally from Barry, in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, committed the offences whilst living in Walker in Newcastle. 

Proctor was found guilty at Newcastle crown court of three counts of causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 years old to engage in sexual activity. The charges relate to oral sex against a boy who was just four years old.

However this was not the first time Proctor had been caught for sex offences against a child. In 2007, he received a caution for indecently exposing himself to a six year old whilst living in Barry.

Proctor was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and told he must comply to the requirements of a sex offenders prevention order.

April 1978

‘Sinister Group Passed Boys Round The System’

A CHILD-SEX campaign was branded by an Old Bailey judge as a ‘sinister group’.

‘The Paedophile Information Exchange must cause deep anxiety to people who care about the welfare of children,’ said Judge Brian Gibbons.

His criticism came when he jailed four of the nine men who admitted homosexual acts with young boys and indecent assault. The others were given suspended sentences and fined.

Two of the men had met through the Exchange and a network of communication had been developed among the nine who ‘passed boys round the system.’

One of the men, 26-year-old Robert Bushell, of Golders Green was described by the judge as the worst offender.

He had committed some of the offences in the dormitory of a Surrey boarding school.

Judge Gibbons told him ‘You corrupted the uncorrupted at an early age. I consider you a grave danger to children.’

Judge Gibbons also jailed Geoffrey Taylor, aged 65, for four years for indecent assault; David Hooper, aged 35, four years for buggery; and Nigel Beatman, aged 32, jailed for 30 months for indecent assault.

Karen Price, also known as Little Miss Nobody, was a fifteen-year-old Welsh murder victim, who had vanished in 1981. After the discovery of her body in 1989, her skull had been reconstructed by Richard Neave, an English facial reconstruction artist. 

The facial reconstruction and the matching of her DNA to that of her parents led to the identification of the body; this was the first time DNA had been used in this way

Discovery and identification

In Cardiff, Wales, two construction workers unearthed a rolled carpet while constructing a garden behind a house. When the carpet had been unraveled, the skeletal remains of a young female were visible. Entomologists studied the insect eggs around the site of the discovery to show that the girl had been dead for approximately ten years.

After fruitless attempts to identify the body, Richard Neave of Manchester University created a clay facial reconstruction of the skull. Both the reconstruction and the DNA samples taken from the bones compared with the DNA of her parents identified the remains to be that of Karen’s. 

It was believed that the runaway girl had turned to prostitution, and In 1991, Idris Ali (pictured below in 2010) and Alan Charlton, (pictured above in 1991) who were thought to be in charge of Karen’s soliciting, were later charged with her murder. 

However, Ali’s charge was reduced to manslaughter and was therefore released in 1994, while Charlton remained on a life sentence, but has a parole hearing due in 2015

Ali has since served jail terms for robbery and inciting a cell block riot which left two Welsh guards with horrific injuries. He was jailed for 12 years in 1997 for the prison riot. Ali still has family in the Cardiff area but was living in a bail hostel in Swansea under the supervision of South Wales Probation Service when he breached the terms of his licence in 2010

April 2011

Robert Bayne jailed for 20 years

The man convicted of murdering 17-year-old Zoe Nelson and burning her body in woods in North Lanarkshire has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years.

Robert Bayne, 21, attacked the teenager, put a plastic sheet over her face and set her on fire, near Cambusnethan, Wishaw, in May last year.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Bayne was given a mandatory life sentence.

The bodybuilder was also given a six-year concurrent sentence over his attempts to cover up Zoe’s murder.

Jailing him, judge Lady Dorrian told Bayne: “This was an appalling crime, the circumstances of which are properly to be described as shocking.”

During his trial, the court heard Motherwell College student Zoe, who was said to have been in a relationship with Bayne, was seen leaving her Newmains home at 1700 BST on 22 May 2010.

She was later seen on CCTV footage in a local store at about 1730 BST.

Residents reported seeing a fire in woods, known as Monkey Hill, later that evening.

A member of the public found her badly burned body there the following day. He told the trial he initially believed it to be a charred tailor’s dummy, but soon discovered it was a corpse.

Jurors also heard that Zoe had told a close friend she used to go out with Bayne, and said he was “controlling” and would not allow her to see some of her friends.

The prosecution also presented evidence which showed that traces of DNA found on Zoe’s remains matched samples taken from Bayne.

Bayne was found guilty of murder and of a second charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by setting fire to Zoe’s body, washing and disposing of items of clothing worn during the murder, disposing of her mobile phone and falsely stating to police that another person had admitted to the crime.

As the Nelson family left court, Zoe’s aunt, Shirley Nelson, 35, said they were disappointed by Bayne’s 20-year minimum sentence.

“A life should mean a life. We should go back to the old days and bring back hanging,” she said.

“All we can say now that all this is over is, as a family, we would like to thank everyone for the help and support that has been given to us all.

“Now, as a family, we have to come to terms with the fact that we will never see Zoe again as her life was cut short at the evil hands of Robert Bayne.”

August 2012

Shafilea Ahmed trial: Parents found guilty of murder and jailed for life

The parents of Shafilea Ahmed have been found guilty of her murder and jailed for life after being accused of taking the schoolgirl’s life in an ‘honour killing’.

The 17-year-old from Great Sankey, Warrington went missing from her Cheshire home in 2003 and her body was found by the River Kent in Cumbria six months later.

Iftikhar Ahmed, 52, and his wife Farzena, 49, both denied the murder, but the jury at Chester Crown Court unanimously found the pair guilty on Friday.

Mr Justice Roderick Evans jailed the pair for life and ordered them each to spend a minimum of 25 years behind bars.

Shafilea’s sister Alesha testified against her parents, telling the jury that they suffocated the 17-year-old with a plastic bag in front of their other children.

She also claimed that after the pair pushed Shafilea onto a settee, her mum said to ‘just finish it here’.

The court was told that the Ahmeds had tried to force their traditional values on their daughter, but she refused to conform, socialising outside their community, dying her hair and wearing stiletto heels.

In February 2003, Shafilea was taken to Pakistan by her parents who tried to force her into marriage, but during the trip she collapsed after drinking bleach, and the arranged nuptials fell through.

Shortly after the family returned to the UK, the schoolgirl went missing.

There were few clues to her whereabouts, and police bugged the family home and heard Mr and Mrs Ahmed worrying about DNA, cursing police officers and coaching their other children on what to say.

However, it was not until six years later when Shafilea’s sister Alesha helped to plan a robbery at the family home that a breakthrough was made.

During a police interview she said she had witnessed her parents murder her sister seven years earlier.

Shafilea Ahmed was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, to Pakistani parents. A student who wanted to become a solicitor, Ahmed swallowed bleach during a trip to Pakistan in 2003, in what was later reported to be a suicide attempt. Her father claimed that she had drunk it during a power cut, thinking it was a bottle of fruit juice. According to a wide range of media reports after her disappearance, Shafilea had turned down a suitor in an arranged marriage during the trip, though her parents denied any attempts to pressure her into agreeing to the marriage.

Police then learned that shortly before her disappearance Shafilea had travelled to Pakistan where she rejected an arranged marriage partner and had swallowed bleach, badly scarring her throat—an injury which required constant medical attention when she returned home

In February 2004, Ahmed’s corpse was found in the River Kent near Sedgwick, Cumbria, in proximity to Kendal in the Lake District, 70 miles (110 km) away from Warrington. After heavy flooding in the area, police said the corpse was deliberately hidden; a gold “zigzag” bracelet and blue topaz ring found with the body were identified by her parents. Due to decomposition, the cause of death could not be determined by the coroner (Home Office pathologist Alison Armer) at post mortem, leaving the police to believe that it had probably been there since the day she disappeared or not long after.

Shafilea’s body was also found to have been dismembered (a femur was found). Detective Sergeant Mike Foster stated at a hearing, “The pathologist could not determine the cause of death, but did say the body was that of a young female. Obviously, because of the condition of the body, she was unable to give any further findings.”

November 2013

Anxiang Du jailed for Ding family murders in Northampton

A man who murdered a family of four in a revenge attack has been jailed for life with a minimum of 40 years.

Anxiang Du stabbed Jifeng “Jeff” Ding, his wife Ge “Helen” Chui, and their daughters Xing and Alice to death at their Northampton home in April 2011.

He had lost a legal case against the couple and faced a bill of £88,000, Northampton Crown Court heard.

Sentencing Du, Mr Justice Flaux said: “There can be no doubt that this was savage butchery on your part.”

Du, from Coventry, stabbed the family with “ruthless efficiency” after travelling to their home by train and bus on 29 April 2011 – the day of the royal wedding between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

He demanded money from Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer Mr Ding and, when he refused, he stabbed him 23 times and his wife 13 times.

Mr Justice Flaux said Du had “executed” the couple. He then went upstairs to a bedroom and killed their daughters Xing, 18, who was also known as Nancy, and 12-year-old Alice.

‘Defenceless girls’

A-level student Xing, who had secured a place to study medicine at university, had 11 stab wounds. Her sister had four.

A 999 call made from a mobile phone during the murders featured the sisters’ terrified screams and was played to the jury during the trial.

Mr Justice Flaux said: “Not content with the slaughter of the parents downstairs, you then went upstairs to the back bedroom where the two young Ding girls were cowering.

“It is apparent from the fact that Nancy’s mobile made the 999 call, that they had heard what was happening downstairs and she was frantically trying to ring the police for help.

“At that moment it seems you came into the room and within a short period of time you had also murdered those poor defenceless girls.”

Du then laid down and slept in the house, then later woke up and stole the family’s car and tried to find another business partner.

“Mercifully, either you could not find his house or he was not at home, so he escaped your continuing calculated revenge,” said Mr Justice Flaux.

The family’s bodies were not discovered for two days.

Du fled the UK was eventually arrested 14 months later in Morocco.

He admitted the killings but claimed he should be convicted of manslaughter on the basis of either diminished responsibility or loss of control.

Explaining his decision not to give Du a whole life order, Mr Justice Flaux cited a European Court of Human Rights ruling that such tariffs breach a prisoner’s human rights.

He also quoted case law that the order was reserved for “the few exceptionally serious offences… when the judge is satisfied that the element of just punishment and retribution requires the imposition of a whole life order. It is not a mandatory or automatic or minimum sentence”.

February 2014

Man who ‘collected’ 90,000 sexual/indecent images of babies escapes jail

A man who spent 10 years amassing a collection of 90,000 images and videos of children and babies being abused walked free from court yesterday because he has autism.

Adam Bates stored the “appalling” images which included babies a young as 10 months old being sexually assaulted, on two hard drives and a computer

The 30-year-old, of Vicarage Street, Woburn Sands, had spent 10 years searching and storing the abusive/indecent images which accumulated to the massive collection.

He had also made his images available to other paedophiles by uploading them to a file sharing website Gigatribe.

Bates had 6,000 images and videos classified as levels two to five, five being the highest and most offensive pornographic image rating.

Yesterday, Bates who suffers from Asperger’s escaped a jail sentence and was ordered to take part in a three-year sexual offenders’ programme.

Judge Ian Pringle, sitting at Aylesbury Crown Court, said Bates’ Aspergers was part of the reason for his offending and took the exceptional step of a community order.

“Anyone who has had the misfortune to have looked at those images in order to perform their public duties will be able to confirm my view that they are quite appalling,” said Judge Pringle.

“You probably downloaded thousands and thousands of images because that’s what you do, you hoard.

“Your condition I consider to be highly relevant to your offending.”

Nigel Ogborne QC, prosecuting, said in real life Bates preferred teenagers and young women and added: “He said he must be sexually attracted to children but not when he saw them in the flesh.

“He said he had gone onto GigaTribe and viewed other images and had done nothing to stop others viewing his files.”

The judge gave Bates a supervision order and warned him that if he failed to comply with it he would face jail the next time.

Bates admitted four counts of making indecent images of children and a further count of possession, sharing or distribution indecent material.

Andrew Jordan, defending, said Bates, had been ‘passive rather than active’ in the distribution of the material.

He said: “Given the great benefit that the defendant and society would have from a three-year programme I do urge for a community order.”

July 2007

Victims’ mother furious after paedophile’s sentence is cut

A MUM whose two young sons were abused by a child minder is furious after not being told that his sentence had been slashed.

The boys’ family only found out the distressing decision after reading a newspaper report

Adrian Crumpton, 26, of Malborough Street, Darnley, admitted three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child on the boys who were aged under 14 at the time.

He was given a four-and-half year sentence at Leeds Crown Court in January this year.

Crumpton worked at the Teddy Baker day nursery in Stanley and at Stanley Grove Primary School. The boys’ mother said she entered into a private arrangement with him to look after her children occasionally when she was out.

But last week, top judges at the Court of Appeal ruled Crumpton’s punishment had been manifestly excessive and decided to slash the sentence to three-and-half years.

The boys’ mother, who cannot be identified, only received a letter from the probation service eight days after the court case.

The 37-year-old, who lives in Wakefield, said: “It was a devastating way for us to find out. I’m horrified that he seems to have been given some leniency. This man has devastated our lives.

“I haven’t told my boys what’s happened. I can’t because I can’t explain to them why it’s been done.

“How can someone justify reducing his sentence when we have to live with a life sentence because of his despicable actions?”

A judge at the Court of Appeal said Crumpton had not been given enough credit for his guilty plea or the fact one of the attempts at sexual activity ended in failure.

Ruth Kerry, Victims’ Services officer for West Yorkshire, said: “It’s unfortunate that the family heard the outcome of this appeal through the press.

“The role of the probation service victims’ service unit is to keep victims and their families informed about the sentences given to offenders.

“As soon as we receive written notification we pass this on usually by phone, but if we are unable to contact the victim by phone we send the information in a letter by first class.”

April 2003

Pervert is jailed for seven years

A paedophile who carried out a sex attack on an 11-year-old boy as a present to himself for his 40th birthday was jailed for seven years yesterday.

David Swift (41), who has a history of sex offences dating back more than 20 years, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the boy when he appeared at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this week.

The fast food restaurant manager, of Cottage Farm Road, Keresley, Coventry, was jailed for seven years and put on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life after a hearing at the same court yesterday.

The court heard how Swift attacked his victim at an isolated spot close to Gumbleberrys Close in Alum Rock on Swift’s birthday, October 23, 2001.

The boy, who has not been named, was going to meet friends when Swift attacked him near an old railway archway. Swift demanded the boy undress before indecently assaulting him.

Judge Trevor Faber told Swift: “You grabbed hold of him, pushed him against the wall and demanded to see his private parts.

“He was completely terrified by the way you treated him.”

Before letting the youngster go, he stole the boy’s underpants and demanded his name and address.

Judge Faber said: “Bravely and sensibly the boy gave you false details which you wrote on a piece of paper.

“The offence has affected the boy severely. For a number of weeks he was extremely distressed and so afraid of meeting you again, he would not go out on his own.” The court heard how Swift had a string of convictions

In 1980 he was sent to a young offenders’ institute for two years for an indecent assault, and in 1984 he was jailed for six months for lewd and libidinous behaviour in his native Scotland.

In 1986 he was sentenced to 14 years for five offences of assault and robbery, which Judge Faber said were very similar to the Birmingham offence.

Swift was serving a 12-month sentence for abducting a young boy in Coventry when police arrested him for the attack on the Birmingham youngster.

Judge Faber told him: “You have a morbid interest in offences of this kind. There is no doubt you present a serious danger to the public and young boys in particular.

“You need to be punished and the public needs to be protected from you for as long as possible.

“Had you had a trial on this matter and convicted, I would have applied the maximum possible sentence for this offence, which in this country is ten years.”

The judge said Swift’s guilty pleas and desire to desist from offending made him reduce the sentence to seven years, to run concurrently with one year for the theft of the underpants 

He recommended Swift serve at least half of his sentence before being considered for parole.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Gareth Knowles from Queens Road CID, said: “This was one of the worst attacks I have ever investigated. Nothing is going to give this boy his life back, his innocence has been lost forever.

“But I am pleased that the public is going to be protected from Swift for a number of years while he is in prison.

“He will be placed on the sex offenders’ register which means he can be monitored for the rest of his life.”

February 2014

Wisbech man who forged documents to work with young people jailed for child and animal abuse image offences

A 39 year old man, who forged documents in a bid to continue working with young people at the Wisbech Sea Cadets, has been sent to jail for 20 months after pleading guilty to three child and animal indecent image charges.

The news has been welcomed by two mothers who pulled their children out of the cadets after becoming concerned that the father of three had previous cautions for indecent images and common assault on a child.

One mother said she was relieved that at last the criminal justice system had caught up with Andrew Mattless after she took her concerns to the cadets last September but was ignored.

The mother of two said: “Mattless had been with the cadets for three years with no CRB check. The cadets didn’t take action when I warned them, he continued to come into the unit and for that they didn’t do right by the children. What they did was fundamentally wrong.

“He appeared in the newspaper in September for these latest charges and yet in November he still took part in the Remembrance Day service with the children and was responsible for driving the mini bus to a fire station trip as the only adult in charge of young people.

“When I blew the whistle I was told it was slander, and told there was nothing wrong.

“I spoke to the cadets safeguarding officer. Nothing was done. The cadets didn’t do right. You have to protect children because you cannot get innocence back.”

Mattless, of Edinburgh Drive, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court where the judge heard that previous cautions for child abuse images and assault charges had been taken off paperwork that he showed to the cadets as proof he was cleared to work with children and young people.

He pleaded guilty to possessing and making indecent images of children and animals. The charges date back to April 24 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing 112 extreme animal porn images and more than 250 child abuse images.

The charges relate to possessing 86 indecent images of children and making 173 indecent images of children.

Four of the offences are images rated at level five, considered the most offensive type of photo.

He was further charged with possessing an extreme image of somebody performing an act of intercourse on an animal and possessing 111 extreme pornographic images of a person performing oral sex on an animal.

A mum of four boys, who pulled her 11 year old son out of the cadets after Mattless drove him home alone and unattended from a gala day in the summer, said: “He dropped him off and a neighbour came round to say had I heard he had a previous caution for child related offences and couldn’t be trusted.

“He was really friendly, said if ever I needed him to pick up my son he was only down the road. The cadets said he had already been checked and he was fine.

A spokesman for the Sea Cadets said that when they were made aware of the charges Mattless was asked to discontinue his service with them.

She said: “The charity takes its duty of care to young people very seriously and has strict policies and procedures in place to protect them.

“We have clear expectations of those placed in a position of trust and do not tolerate behaviour which harms young people, places them at risk of harm or that breaches the trust placed upon them.”

She said that Mattless was no longer a member of the organisation.

“Mr Mattless is not a member of the Sea Cadets and he isn’t permitted to take part in any of our activities or enter any of our premises”

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said: “Mattless deliberately forged a letter in an effort to gain access to children and we’re pleased the court has recognised the danger he poses.

“Assault charges were still on the letter – he removed that he had a caution for indecent images and that he was being investigated.

“Possessing indecent images is not a victimless crime as it fuels the abuse of children. This case should send a strong message to those who think it is acceptable to possess such images.”

February 2014

Scunthorpe man had indecent images of children

A SCUNTHORPE man was caught in possession of indecent images of children as young as two, a court heard.

Vincent Stubbs, 50, of Moorwell Road, admitted seven offences of possession of indecent images of a child and one of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Prosecuting at Grimsby Crown Court, Craig Lowe said police executed a search warrant at Stubbs’s address on November 7, 2012.

He said a computer was seized and sent for analysis, which revealed a number of images on two drives.

Mr Lowe said a total of 244 images were recovered, 168 of which were categorised as level one – the lowest level. Of the remainder, nine were at level two, with 33 at level three and 34 at level four. None were level five, which is the highest category.

Mr Lowe said: “The people in the images in relation to level four were aged approximately two and the other levels were up to eight or nine.”

Defending, Mark Watterson said Stubbs was a person of good character with no previous convictions.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Watson said he had been helped by a pre-sentence report on Stubbs.

He told Stubbs: “It tells me a great deal about you and your background.

“I have also read an impressive letter about you which adds significantly to the content of that report.

“I have also got to bear in mind what I know about you from the psychiatric report.

“I take the view that in the long term, the public is better protected by making you the subject of a lengthy supervision order.”

Stubbs was given a three-year community order with a three-year supervision requirement.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for five years and was given a five-year sex offences prevention order.