February 2014
Dad, 75, and son, 55, sentenced to 25 years for rape of vulnerable girl
A PENSIONER and his son who systematically abused a vulnerable girl, including repeatedly raping her during a series of “despicable” offences, have been jailed for a total of 25 years between them.
The “devastating” offences involved “intimidation or coercion” and had such an appalling impact on the victim that there was “little chance of recovery” for her through therapy, a court heard.
Colin Smith, 75, of St John’s Road, Humberston, denied 13 sex offences but was convicted by a jury of 11 of them.
They included six offences of rape, two offences each of indecent assault and indecency with a child, and another of sexual assault.
His son, Andrew Smith, 55, of Grainsby Avenue, Holton-le-Clay, denied two offences of rape involving the same victim, but was convicted of one of them and jailed for eight years.
He was cleared by a jury at Grimsby Crown Court of a charge of indecent assault.
Judge Paul Watson QC told Colin Smith that the girl was forced to endure his “sexual desires whenever you demanded it”, despite her “resistance”.
The effect on the victim had been “devastating” and Smith tried to “pull the wool over the eyes” of the jury.
The prognosis for the victim was “extremely poor” because of what Smith had done, said Judge Watson.
The serious impact on her had been so huge that she might not even be able to take part in therapy and there was “little chance of recovery” for her.
“You simply came to treat her as your sexual chattel,” said Judge Watson.
What Smith had done to her was “virtually indescribable” and he had used “intimidation or coercion”.
He added: “This was despicable conduct by you.”
It was difficult for “right-thinking members of the community” to know how a man could behave in such a way.
“This calls for nothing less than a substantial sentence of custody,” said Judge Watson.
He told Andrew Smith: “To say that this was a bad offence is a significant under-statement.”
Andrew Bailey, mitigating, said that, apart from these offences, Colin Smith had been a positive member of the community, working all his life and being of previous good character.
There was “no mitigation” for the offences themselves, said Mr Bailey.
Craig Lowe, representing Andrew Smith, said his client had been happily married for nearly 30 years and had two sons at university.
It was “very difficult to advance much in the way of mitigation” but Smith had been convicted of only one rape offence.
