Search the database
clearly and quickly

Record details

A sexual predator raped a woman at student accommodation while she was unconscious and later messaged her in order to "get closure". The victim chastised him for messaging her out of the blue and told him: "You are a rapist."

Nathan Thorburn, 25, raped the woman in Cardiff in 2019. She woke up during the attack in immense pain and discovered he was forcing himself upon her. He apologised the next day but did not refer to what had happened.

Years later he contacted the victim on Facebook and asked to discuss what had happened in order to "get closure". She responded with a lengthy reply in which she accused him of "massaging his ego" by turning to the woman he raped in order to absolve his guilt. She told him: "You and I both know what you did to me. You are a rapist."

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the victim and Thorburn had both been drinking alcohol and the victim had had a cannabis spliff during a night out. By the end of the night the victim was extremely intoxicated and returned to the accommodation block.

Thorburn offered to put her to bed but at this point the victim was passing in and out of consciousness and at times thought the defendant was her boyfriend. Prosecutor James Wilson said the victim fell asleep but was unaware Thorburn was on top of her.

The barrister said: "Her clearest memory was she was on her front with her face pushed into the pillow and she felt the defendant's penis in her anus. It took her brain a few seconds to realise what was happening and she woke up to feel the defendant's penis going in and out and it hurt. In a mirror she saw herself and the defendant. She was in pain and wanted to scream but could only manage a whimper and told him to stop. She remained confused about what was happening to her and thought she was dreaming."

The victim later told police she was unaware of the full extent of what Thorburn had done to her and did not know if he was wearing a condom. She described herself feeling "defiled, dirty, vile, and disgusting" about what the defendant had done and "felt like a corpse" while it was happening.

The next day Thorburn made a vague apology but did not say what he was sorry for. The victim told her sister about what had happened but had resolved to "take it to her grave".

Thorburn was sent to prison in 2019 for an unrelated matter and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). Following his release from prison he contacted the victim in 2022 on Facebook Messenger. He wrote: "Hey. Can we talk? I wanted to talk about the situation about me and you before I went to prison. I think I knew what I did was wrong and I want some sort of closure I guess. I think it's good to talk about these things with that person to be sure about this. Things have been going on in my mind for a long time that I want to put to rest."

Upon receiving the message the victim was angry that Thorburn had contacted her and asked her to absolve him of guilt for raping her. Her response read: "I don't even know where to begin. I can give you closure in one simple sentence. You are a rapist.

"First, you even messaging me is incredibly selfish and self-serving. I reread the message you sent and can count how many times you say 'I'. You want closure because it's playing on your mind? You want to get closure for assaulting me when I was drunk, passed out, and vulnerable and put me to bed. I will never get closure. For me it will last a lifetime."

Thorburn responded to the message making admissions to raping the victim but she had blocked him. He compiled the messages in a document which he circulated to a sexual assault referral service as well as other agencies. The document was picked up by the defendant's offender manager who visited him on June 13 last year. The victim was later identified and formally interviewed.

The defendant, of Kingsway, Cardiff, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to rape and breach of a SHPO after he was found to have deleted his internet history. The court heard he had previous convictions for accessing indecent images of children having first been convicted in 2019 for accessing 14 Category A images, 19 Category B images, and 149 Category C images. He was later convicted on another count of accessing indecent photos of a child in January 2020 as well as a breach of a SHPO having viewed images of children being raped and admitting he "got a thrill" from doing so.

In a statement she read out to the court the victim said the rape had affected her "emotionally and socially". She said: "I feel Nathan has taken control of the situation for three years. I feel now I want to be in control. What has happened to me has a lifelong effect. If Nathan is sent to prison for this he won't suffer for a lifetime like I have to.

"Nathan choosing to rape me is a lifelong scab I will pick at forever and forever. I was a trusting and caring person; I was soft and gentle in my approach to people and life. Because of what he's done to me I have turned to someone who is hardened. I can't feel emotions towards people. It breaks my heart because this isn't me. I can't trust anyone anymore. It's exhausting and draining to feel like this – constantly having my guard up. I am a broken shell of the woman I once was and woman I was going to be." The victim said Thorburn messaging her had "felt like a punch to the gut" and he had only thought of himself by asking her to "absolve him of the harm he caused".

Hilary Roberts, for Thorburn, said while mitigation for his client was "scant" he had recognised that his behaviour was "wrong", which had troubled him and caused him anxiety. This anxiety had led him to contact his victim "seeking to put things right," which the barrister admitted was done "in a clumsy way" and had caused "obvious stress and aggravation".

Sentencing Thorburn Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke told him that his victim had been "extremely confused about what was going on" during the attack but his actions had had "a devastating impact on her and her life". Describing him as a "dangerous offender" she also said in her sentencing remarks that he "must have known [he] would cause significant distress" by contacting her years later.

She added: "You did a terrible thing to [your victim]. She will have to live with the consequences for the rest of her life. Nothing was her fault. The fault, responsibility, and blame is all yours."

Thorburn was handed a 13-year extended sentence comprising a custodial term of nine years with an extended licence period of four years. He will serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole. If he is released he will serve the remaining period of the custodial sentence on licence before serving the extended licence period. He was also made subject to a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting or approaching the victim or entering any premises where she lives, works, or studies. He will now be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Record details

A FORMER teacher has been given a 12-year prison sentence for 11 sexual offences against four pupils at a boarding school.

Martin Haigh was a teacher at Ashdown House School, Forest Row in the 1970s and as well as being convicted of sexual offences he was also convicted for the possession of indecent images of children.

Haigh, 67, unemployed, of Lavender Street, Brighton, was sentenced at Brighton Crown Court today after a four day trial on charges of offences against two of the boys.

He was convicted of four offences, one of indecent assault and three of gross indecency, against two boys who were then pupils aged between seven and 12, at the school in the 1970s.

At a previous hearing before the trial, Haigh had also admitted seven other offences, three of gross indecency and four of indecent assault, against two other boys at the school during the same period.

He also admitted an offence of possessing indecent images of children, found on a computer at his address when officers searched it in 2015.

The images were taken from the Internet and there is no evidence that they were children known to him.

Haigh was sentenced to a total of 11 years for the sexual offences and an additional one year for the possession of indecent images.

He will be a registered sex offender for life and has been served with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting his access to children and computers.

The prosecution, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, followed an investigation by East Sussex child safeguarding detectives after allegations were referred to them for the first time in January 2014.

Police emphasise that there are no current or recent safeguarding issues at the school in relation to this case.

Detective constable Paul Deadman said: "This was a complex and protracted investigation, during which it became clear that Haigh had systematically taken advantage of the trust of young and vulnerable boys to abuse them for his own sexual gratification.

Record details

A man has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of the rape of a teenage girl.

Warren Waldrom, now 30, attacked the girl at an address in Coalville, Leicestershire, in July 2017, when she was under 16.

He also denied a charge of sexual assault but was convicted of both at Leicester Crown Court in February.

Police praised the victim and her family for their bravery and patience in bringing the case to court.

Police said Waldrom, of Radiant Road, Leicester, took the girl to his former home address in Coalville and later sexually assaulted her.

'Extremely difficult time'

She told him to stop, which he did, but shortly after he returned and, despite her pleas, raped her.

The victim told friends and then family, which led to Waldrom being arrested.

He claimed he thought the girl was older and the sex was consensual but officers said "further extensive enquiries" led to him being charged in November 2019.

Det Con Katie Leadbetter, of Leicestershire Police, said: "This has been an extremely difficult time for the victim and her family as they have waited firstly for our extensive enquiries to be completed to enable charges to be made and then for the trial to be heard.

"Without the victim's bravery, patience and co-operation during this time, we would not have been able to see this conviction happen."

Record details

A former police officer has been branded a sexual deviant as he was given a 29-year sentence for his latest offences on children.

Philip Magson targeted two young children when he befriended their mother and abused them both at their home and on a trip to Kirkleatham Gardens.

The sick pervert also prowled the streets of Thornaby where he made a disgusting sexual remark to a child when she fell over while roller skating before returning to the same area eight months later and sexually assaulting another young girl.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Magson had been convicted in the early 80s for sexually assaulting young girls while he was an off-duty Cleveland Police officer.

The 61-year-old carried out his latest offending several years ago leaving some of his victims suffering high levels of anxiety, said Jonathan Walker, prosecuting.

In powerful victim impact statements, the parents of the victims outlined the pain and suffering that the defendant had inflicted on the children.

Magson, formerly from the Teesside area but now of no fixed abode, was found guilty of six sexual offences when he was on trial earlier this year.

Chris Baker, mitigating, said there was limited mitigation he could offer due to the guilty convictions from the jury.

He said: “He appreciates that he has had his trial and lost.”

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Magson to 21 years in prison with an extended eight years on licence when he is released.

“You are a man with a deviant sexual interest in children,” he said. “You are a dangerous offender, persistent and cunning.”

Magson was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Detective Constable Carl Middleton, from Cleveland Police’s Public Protection Unit, said: “The actions of Magson are unforgivable and the sentence handed to him today highlights the severity of the crimes he has committed.

“Magson targeted children and the damage he has caused to the victims and their families is inexcusable.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the victims and their families for their courage throughout the ordeal they have suffered and the court process. No child should have to provide evidence at court after becoming victim to such a cruel crime.

“Magson deserves to spend a significant time in prison as a result of what he has done.”

Record details

A stalker who subjected a teenage girl to a "determined campaign of psychological abuse" has been jailed. Marcus Horn became obsessed with the youngster, a court heard, messaging her to ask for sex and sending her links to porn sites.

Though he was reported to police Horn was released on police bail, only to plague his victim again. The 49-year-old, of Ivywell Road in Bristol, pleaded guilty to stalking, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two charges of having sexual communication with a child.

Judge Julian Lambert handed him an 11-year extended sentence, comprising seven years' custody and four years of extended licence. Horn, who the judge classified as a dangerous offender, was told to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was banned from all contact with the victim and other named parties indefinitely.

The judge told Horn: "This was a determined campaign of psychological abuse. Your conduct is chillingly careless of her age and feelings. Suffering caused is of a high magnitude."

Anjali Gohil, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court Horn messaged the child with a lewd request and sent her sexual images with the words "that's you soon". Police called in found Horn had indecent images on his phone, upon which he had put the girl's name.

Horn was released under investigation. But he contacted the girl again and left her messages in which he appeared to be performing a sex act on himself.

The victim made an impact statement in which she said the messages scared her and she couldn't understand Horn's conduct, which made her very angry. She said that, as a result of the abuse, she was unable to relax and felt anxious all the time.

She stated: "I always feel I am being watched when I close my eyes. I was always worried more messages would come through."

Ehsanul Oarith, defending, said: "There is no possible justification for what he's done. He does not suggest that he's innocent.

"He is not seeking to minimise what he has done or shift blame. There are underlying issues for distorted thinking."

Mr Oarith said his client had experienced trauma in his life including physical injury. He said Horn was a non-dependant cocaine user with a difficult mental health history.

Mr Oarith told the court: "He can address substance misuse and mental health issues, as well, to make sure when he comes out he a better man than when he went in. He will be on a very tight leash when he comes out."

Record details

A paedophile who hopes his sick behaviour might one day be legal has been given a 10-year extended sentence as a "dangerous offender".

Bradford man Nathan Roe groomed two teenage boys over social media and tried to meet up with them for sexual activity - despite already being prosecuted and sentenced at Leeds Crown Court for similar offending relating to a “decoy” undercover police officer posing as a child online.

In May last year, the 21-year-old, of Tyersal Close, was given a two-year community order with conditions that included attendance on a sex offender programme.

But less than a fortnight after the sentence was passed, a monitoring service alerted the police after software installed on his computer equipment picked up his sexualised messages to one of his latest victims.

Today Recorder Paul Reid KC jailed Roe for six years, but he also imposed an extended licence period of four years after he said the defendant posed a significant risk of serious harm. Roe, who had been an engineering student, will have to serve at least two-thirds of the six-year jail term after he pleaded guilty to a series of offences involving the two boys, who must be identified for legal reasons.

Recorder Reid said Roe had groomed both youngsters and had tried to meet both of them for sexual activity. Roe admitted various charges relating to arranging to meet a child for sexual activity, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual communication with a child.

He will now have to register as a sex offender with the police and comply with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. Recorder Reid said Roe had preyed on his two vulnerable victims in a deeply manipulative way.

Referring to a “disturbing” pre-sentence report on Roe, the judge said he had shown no remorse for what he had done and had expressed the hope that such behaviour may become legal in the future.

The court heard how Roe, who admitted having an active sexual interest in underage boys, had met up with one of the boys and touched the youngster’s bottom and hugged him on that occasion.

Record details

A PENSIONER has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a child in Southampton. 

David Seagrave was found guilty by a jury of six charges.

These included two allegations of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault of a child.

He was also convicted of a single count of exposure at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday. 

The case has now been adjourned until May 31 for sentencing. 

Seagrave, 83, of Witts Hill, Southampton was found not guilty of an allegation of sexual assault. He was also cleared of an allegation that he exposed himself in a pub.

Giving his closing speech earlier in the trial, Simon Walters raised doubts about the prosecution's witnesses saying that the alleged exposure in the pub "just doesn't make sense".

The pensioner denied all the offences.

Record details

A "prolific sexual predator" who raped a child and abused multiple other children in his home has been jailed.

Gerald Glancy from Rochdale admitted a catalogue of offences, including rape, sexual activity with a child and causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the 85-year-old had exploited his victims' "vulnerability without any thought to the impact his abuse may have on them".

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the court heard about Glancy's "horrific sexual abuse" of 24 young victims.

A CPS representative said between October 2018 and June 2022, Glancy was regularly engaging in sexualised conversations with children "over web chats", which he then recorded.

During those conversations, he incited them to engage in sexual activity, whilst he himself engaged in a sexual act.

They said Glancy had also been abusing children in his home and several devices were recovered by GMP from his address which contained still and moving photographs of Glancy engaging in sexual activity with children.

'Sickening'

GMP said Glancy admitted possessing indecent images of children after being arrested in February 2021 and "was therefore breaching a previous sexual prevention order".

The force said it seized four mobile telephones, five hard drives, five flash drives and two cameras.

The CPS said the devices were sent for forensic analysis, but Glancy "continued to engage with children over web chat and committed further offences".

GMP said officers returned to Glancy's home in June 2022, "based on intelligence received by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children", and found a further five unauthorised devices.

They said Glancy admitted making more than 47,000 images of children, taking at least 200 "category C" images and distributing two "category A" images.

Speaking after sentencing, Alex Mann said Glancy was such "a prolific sexual predator" that it had not been possible to identify all of his victims.

"The abuse he subjected children to was sickening," he said.

"He exploited their vulnerability without any thought to the impact his abuse may have on them."

Det Ch Insp Suzanne Keenaghan added that those who had provided "valuable support" in the case should be commended for their bravery.

"We know it’s been an extremely harrowing time for them," she said.

"Glancy is the worst kind of offender and we are pleased that this predator is no longer on the streets and will not be able to hurt children ever again."

Record details

A "predator" who sexually assaulted a hospital patient previously flashed a group of children before choking one girl until she passed out. Russell Jones was jailed yesterday after he drunkenly "loitered" in the grounds of Whiston Hospital "attempting to befriend female patients" before attacking a "vulnerable" wheelchair user.

The ECHO has revealed the 45-year-old's criminal record includes a horrifying attack in 2015, which began when he exposed himself to several teenagers in Warrington. He then approached one of the youngsters and "placed his lips on her neck", grabbed her breasts and "tickled her stomach and ribs".

When she responded by punching him in the face, Jones shockingly placed both of his hands around her neck, lifted her off the ground and strangled her until she was unconscious.

The assault only stopped when her friends intervened, punching him until he released her from his grip. He was jailed for two years as a result, while he also has another conviction for sexual assault from 2014.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday afternoon that the latest incident occurred in October last year amid a "breakdown in his relationship". Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, described how he "began loitering in the grounds of Whiston Hospital attempting to befriend female patients".

His victim, who was an inpatient at the time and using a wheelchair, was with her boyfriend and a friend by the entrance when Jones - formerly of Ratcliffe Place in Rainhill - approached them clutching a bottle of vodka. She was then taken back to her room, but subsequently "encountered the defendant on a number of occasions" throughout the day.

When her partner left in a taxi, the convicted sex offender "watched and waited" for him to leave before approaching her and attempting to push her back to her ward before a hospital volunteer intervened - at which point he "claimed to know her". She was later having a cigarette with the same friend when Jones began hassling them again and made an "inappropriate remark" to the latter, saying he "wouldn't mind having half an hour with her".

The "sexual predator" interrupted the prosecutor at this point to say "all of this is wrong". But Mr Wyn Jones continued and outlined how he then crouched down by the complainant, began stroking and touching her leg and "moving his hand upwards".

Jones was arrested at around midnight while still on the hospital site. He has a total of 40 previous convictions for 69 offences.

The victim bravely read out a statement to the court in which she outlined the impact of the incident upon her, including suffering a panic attack as she "believed he was following her" and experiencing nightmares. She added: "It happened in hospital, a place where I thought I was safe.

"I'm paranoid about people when they walk past me and what they might do to me as well. I don't want to be anywhere alone. I constantly think about this. What he did to me was terribly wrong.

"I want him to know I'm not scared of him and he can't treat me this way. I no longer have confidence when I go out and don't feel like myself anymore - I no longer trust anyone due to this incident."

Jones meanwhile responded callously by saying "I've got no interest in hearing her". Frank Dillon, defending, told the court that his client's mum has lung cancer and is "on borrowed time".

He added: "The defendant denied it and he continues to do so. He is, of course anxious, to be released as soon as possible and earn an honest living as he was doing for much of the time before his remand."

Jones added of his mum: "The woman brought me up single-handedly. My mother is my world and I'm not with her at this time."

Jones was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by a jury following a trial. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was imprisoned for three-and-a-half years and handed a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim indefinitely.

Sentencing, Judge Garrett Byrne said: "Clearly, this sexual assault had a real adverse impact on her life. I find you to be highly dangerous.

"You present a significant risk to members of the public, particularly women. I have no doubt you see yourself as some kind of rough diamond, but you are in fact a sexual predator who demonstrates a complete inability to understand how your behaviour affects other people."

Record details

A Sheffield man has been jailed after sexually abusing a child during their sleep.

Edem Sutton assaulted a boy while he fell asleep watching a film, Sheffield Crown Court heard. The 33-year-old South Yorkshire man groomed his victim for months by buying him gifts, taking him on bike rides, and speaking to him on social media.

He manipulated the victim into staying at his home in October 2019 before the sickening assault. The victim, who has anonymity for life, told officers that after the assault, Sutton sent messages warning him not to tell anyone what had happened.

Sutton, of Lupton Road, Sheffield, was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court. He appeared before the court again on Tuesday April 25 and was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. He was also placed on the sex offender’s register for 15 years.

Investigating Officer Detective Lindsey Fishwick said: "I would like to thank the victim for the bravery he has shown throughout this investigation. Sutton maintained his innocence throughout the trial and I am pleased that the jury saw through his lies.

"I hope the sentence handed out to Sutton today will help the victim as he moves forward with his life."

Record details

An 'extremely dangerous' sexual offender has been caged after waging an eight-year reign of terror over two children. Alala Kesahit has been jailed for 20 YEARS following a police investigation into the offences across Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire.

For nearly a decade, evil Kesahit regularly abused and assaulted two children under the age of 16. He was also physically abusive to a woman, assaulting her and causing bruising to her face and a cut lip in 2017.

The historic offences were reported to Thames Valley Police on September 28, 2022, and Kesahit was arrested the following day. He was charged on September 30, 2022.

Detective Constable Sophie Holliss said: "These offences came to light thanks to the huge amount of bravery from Kesahit's victims to stand up to his offending behaviour. That they came forward to report these horrific crimes displayed tremendous courage, and I would like to personally thank them for putting their trust in the police to keep them safe and seek justice for them."

The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to 14 separate offences on December 21, 2022 and admitted to another offence on January 13, 2023, in two hearings at Oxford Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to five counts of rape of a child, eight counts of sexual assault by penetration, one count of sexual assault by touching, and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

His guilty pleas were accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. A remaining seven not guilty pleas will lie on file.

Kesahit, from Oxford, was jailed for 20 years with a further four years on licence – a total sentence of 24 years at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday (April 27). He must also sign the sex offenders' register for life and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order for life.

"Kesahit is an extremely dangerous offender and the sentence reflects this dangerousness," Det Con Holliss said. "I hope that the lengthy prison sentence he has been given provides the victims with some closure and the ability to move forward with their lives in the knowledge that they are now protected from him.

"I hope that this sentence shows the wider public that the police will take reports of this nature seriously, no matter what the passage of time, and that victims will be listened to and supported."

Record details

A former security guard who raped three women has been jailed for eight years.

Dane O’Neill preyed on his victims including taking advantage of one while she was asleep in a hotel room.

The 22 year-old was also controlling and physically violent.

Jurors heard how a victim was told to cover with make up the horrible bruises he had inflicted.

O’Neill was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was earlier convicted of a total of 11 charges including seven counts of rape.

The crimes were committed between 2017 and 2021 mainly at different addresses in East Kilbride.

Lord Clark remarked O’Neill had tried to “blame” the victims for the more serious crimes.

The judge stated: “As has been made clear, you have not accepted that you committed any of the sexual offences.”

He added due to the “repeated nature” of what happened and O’Neill’s “lack of remorse” he presented a “high risk” of similar behaviour.

O’Neill will then be supervised for a further two years on his release.

Lord Clark imposed indefinite non-harassment orders banning him from approaching or contacting the women for an indefinite period.

O’Neill gave evidence during the trial and was quizzed by his lawyer Frances Connor.

She asked about the night he spent with one victim at a hotel in Glasgow in September 2020.

O’Neill said they returned there after dinner and drinks.

Prosecutors stated it was there he preyed on the woman while she was sleeping and, after she awoke, slapped his hand over her mouth and continued to force himself on her.

Miss Connor asked O’Neill: “Was there any sexual contact in the hotel room?”

He replied: “No.”

The defence advocate: “How did she seem in the morning?”

O’Neill: “Tired, but upbeat.”

O’Neill had previously assaulted this woman, accused her of cheating and used her bank card without her knowing. He also kept tabs on her social media.

The other two victims were also raped as well as being abused both physically and verbally.

A charge stated O’Neill did “instruct” one of them to “apply make up to her body to conceal bruising” caused by him.

Miss Connor told the sentencing hearing: “He has a family ready and waiting to support him.”

Record details

A sex offender who’s banned from every library in Oxfordshire shouted that British justice ‘stinks’ after he was sent to the cells for losing his temper in court.

Later, Judge Michael Gledhill KC suggested it was ‘very concerning indeed’ that former music teacher Alan Roberts was said in a probation pre-sentence report to want to ‘volunteer in any capacity that makes access to young boys easier’.

“The authorities and the charities doing work in this area must be made absolutely clear that Alan Jack Roberts should not be involved in any way – directly or indirectly – he must not have an opportunity of going anywhere near young boys,” the judge said.

He added that there was a ‘huge danger allowing this man from becoming involved’ in a volunteering capacity with children.

However, 73-year-old Roberts was not in court to hear the judge’s words, having been sent to the cells at the start of the hearing when he repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor and judge.

He shouted that he could not hear with the judge was saying, that he had ‘no idea what is going on here today’, then in reply to a comment from the judge said: “Thanks very much if that’s your attitude.”

Roberts, who was later said to be suffering from extreme stress, suggested that he had told ‘them’ he should not be in court as he would struggle to keep his calm.

He said from behind the heavy glass of the dock: “If this is British justice it stinks; stinks.”

After being accompanied from the dock by a custody officer, Roberts’ muffled shouting could still be heard – including him repeating the word ‘bull***t’.

Prosecuting, Michael Speak told Oxford Crown Court on Monday (April 24) that Roberts was originally before the courts in the early 1980s when he was convicted and jailed for indecent assault.

He found himself back at the crown court in 2016 to be sentenced for using library computers to search for indecent images of children two years earlier.

In 2019, he was sentenced for breaching the sexual harm prevention order imposed in 2016 and designed to limit his unrestricted access to the internet.

On Monday, Mr Speak said digital devices seized when he was arrested for the 2019 matters were not analysed until 2021, when it was found he had a ‘small number’ of child sex abuse images in categories B and C.

The court heard he had software on his computer that enabled it ‘to be wiped’ and that staff at two Oxford libraries contacted police after seeing Roberts using library computers. The desktop computers do not save users’ internet history.

Both represented a breach of the 2016 sexual harm prevention order, Mr Speak said.

Roberts, whose address was given at his first hearing in the magistrates’ court as HMP Bullingdon, spent a day short of a year in prison on remand awaiting trial until he was bailed last summer.

He pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images and breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Mitigating, Gordana Austin said Roberts had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Among his physical health complaints were sleep apnoea and problems with his blood pressure. He had been ‘extremely stressed’ about the court hearing.

A music teacher until his indecent assault conviction in the 1980s, he subsequently worked as a bus and coach driver, computer literacy trainer and piano tuner, Ms Austin said.

Judge Gledhill imposed a two year community order as an alternative to a prison sentence, saying it was ‘not in the public interest today to send him back to prison’.

Referring to the 12 months Roberts did on remand – the equivalent of a two year prison term – the judge said: “He has served his prison sentence or a great part of what would be appropriate in this case.”

He described Roberts, who it was said is banned from every public library in the county, as a 'menace to libraries' as a result of his unauthorised use of the facilities' computers.

As part of his community order, Roberts must do up to 60 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions with the probation service.

Record details

A man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting two girls and several breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Blackpool police became aware in October 2022 that Thomas Thompson, 55, was working in a resort on a casual basis as a security officer and steward.

As a registered sex offender, Thompson was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and had to notify officers about his employment.

A delve into Thompson's life found that he had lied to the police on numerous occasions, having stated he was not working and had not revealed he was involved in an intimate relationship when in fact he was.

During the investigation, officers spoke to teenage girls who Thompson had invited to his home having initially come across as a good samaritan to help them.

He left Blackpool and went on the run to West Yorkshire as police investigated, however he was arrested in October 2022 and remanded in custody.

Thompson, of Ashton Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to two counts of sexual assault against girls under the age of 18 and five breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Det Con Jason Wainwright of Blackpool Police said: “Thompson had only been in the community since 2019. Over a period of time he lied to the police and breached the order which was in place.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the young girls in this investigation. It is important that vulnerable victims are aware of the support which the police and court system provide.

“This includes regular contact from the officer in the case throughout the investigation to when sentence is passed.”

Record details

A serial rapist who preyed on young women and underaged girls during a campaign of terror spanning almost a decade was jailed for almost 30 years after a judge branded him a danger to all females.

Oliver Wolstenholme, 38, used scheming and manipulative conduct to lure victims into sex and even tried to blackmail one into having sex with him on his own wedding night.

The wannabe policeman - who enjoyed dressing up in uniform and kept a baton, an airsoft rifle and a Samurai sword at home - targeted many of the young women online before meeting them in person.

Wolstenholme, who is currently incarcerated at Wakefield maximum security jail in West Yorkshire, has already been assessed by probation workers as being one of Britain's most dangerous offenders. 

In one incident he raped three teenage girls one by one after taking them to a park to ply them with alcohol. 

Another victim took an overdose in a bid to kill herself due to being haunted by her ordeal.

A third was strangled until she lost consciousness before he allowed his dog to bite her stomach.

Police charged Wolstenholme after officers raided his home in Wythenshawe, Manchester, and found more than 1,500 indecent images on electronic devices which featured children as young as a few weeks or months old.

In his car, officers also found a kitchen knife, gloves, duct tape, a face mask, bolt croppers and a Fruit Shoot bottle containing a vodka-based drink he called a 'glitterbomb'. Further searches of his property uncovered a haul of nitrous oxide and female underwear.

It emerged one victim had reported Wolstenholme to police in 2014 but proceedings against him were dropped after she was too traumatised to testify against him.

At Bolton Crown Court, Wolstenholme - who has split up with his wife - admitted rape, assault and voyeurism charges relating to three women and was jailed for 29 years and nine months. 

He will have to serve at least 20 years in jail before being paroled and he will be on licence until the year 2060.

The latest victims came forward after he was jailed for 22 years in November 2021 after being convicted of rape, sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, meeting a child after grooming, possession of indecent images and two counts of possessing offensive weapons relating to four other victims.

All the charges relate to events between 2012 and 2019. The latest 29-year and nine-month jail sentence will run concurrently to the 22 years he is currently serving. He was spared a life sentence.

Sentencing Wolstenholme, Judge Thomas Gilbart told him: 'This is a deeply troubling case. 

'You raped six victims and met a seventh after grooming. You used coercion and blackmail and threats with weapons. Your rapes almost became a systematic matter of routine. 

'I am satisfied you pose an ongoing risk of causing serious harm to others.'

The first victim, a college student, was attacked in 2012 when she was 16 after she met Wolstenholme via a gaming app.

He raped her when she visited his then home in Partington, Greater Manchester, and later sent her a text message: 'You want to be careful on your way home from college. Hopefully you don't get hit by a car.'

The second victim met Wolstenholme on a dating app in 2014 and they spoke online via Skype for a year before they met in person.

She was said to besotted with him but in one incident he shot her in the knee with his airsoft rifle and in another he strangled her until she lost consciousness before allowing his dog to bite her stomach.

He eventually raped her after booking them into a hotel before assaulting her with a sex aid. He also took secret video of her whilst she was naked on the bed and the then threatened to send it to her boss and post in on Facebook.

The third victim was sexually assaulted after she met Wolstenholme whilst he was engaged to be married and she shared an illicit kiss with him at a drunken house party.

Ben Lawrence, prosecuting, said: 'She said she was sorry and that it should not have happened but the next day he used it against her. 

'He said: "Oh well you want me to tell everyone what happened last night?" and said he wanted to sleep with her.

'He was aware she was vulnerable and concerned that she might lose her friends. He continued blackmailing her until she felt like she had no other option. 

'She thought he would stop once they did it and initially he thanked her and said it wouldn't happen again. 

'But he would continue to pursue her and if she said "no" he told her he would make her life "hell".'

Mr Lawrence added: 'She had bought some lingerie hoping to use it with her own sexual partner on Valentine's Day but the defendant saw and it and pestered her into wearing it for him.

'She refused at first but he ground her down and she wore the lingerie for him - but without her knowledge he had a hidden camera which filmed her. 

'He then considered he had even better material to blackmail her into having more sex with him.

'Whenever she said "no" he sent her the video, threatened to post it on social media and also threatened to send it to her mother. 

'He sent it to her the day before his wedding and made an unsuccessful attempt to pressure her to have sex with him on his wedding night. He continued to grind her down with requests for sex.'

Wolstenholme targeted three of his other victims aged between 14 and 15 after meeting them at Tesco in nearby Baguley. 

He offered one of the girls a cigarette and told her that he was a drug dealer, then lied about his age.

He drove all three of the girls to a quiet car park, where he plied them with drugs and booze before raping each of the girls one byone and threatening to leave them in 'the middle of nowhere' if they did not do what he asked.

One of the victims tried to kick Wolstenholme off her but he was too strong for her and raped her on the back seat of his car. 

Another was so drunk that she could not speak or move but was in tears as Wolstenholme raped her on the front passenger seat.

After Wolstenholme raped the third girl over the boot of the vehicle, he told the other girls that she was a 'sket'. 

He was arrested in December 2019 but after being bailed started to groom another 15-year-old girl on Snapchat whilst posing as a 17-year-old and using the name 'T-Dog'.

In messages, he told the girl that he was 'her man' and repeatedly called her 'babygal' but during a subsequent meeting in a park she managed to escape by getting a friend to call her, pretending to be her mum.

In victim impact statements one of the women said she now struggled with relationships and trusting any men. 

Another said: 'I tried to kill myself with an overdose. I suffer from PTSD and night terrors and have to take sedative medication otherwise I would wake up screaming and feel suicidal.' 

A third victim resorted to alcohol abuse and suffers from 'routine' panic attacks.

One of the teenage girls is said to often 'shut down' and is reluctant and scared to leave her family house.

Wolstenholme, who has 29 offences on his record, had been convicted of kidnap and possessing an offensive weapon in 2003 after seizing a woman at knifepoint in the street before trying to make her lie on the ground in a nearby garden. 

He only ran off when she struggled, screaming for help.

Defence counsel Neil Usher said: 'There is precious little by way of mitigation in his case. 

'Each of these cases are dreadful and the effects on victims is plain from their statements. 

'No issue is taken as to the assessment that he presents a very serious risk of serious sexual offending. He is a dangerous offender and will be no doubt for many years to come.'