Latest Offenders Chester

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Norman Williams (08/05/1965) from Atherton, was jailed for his offending against three victims.

Williams was found guilty by a jury at Bolton Crown Court in March 2024 of 10 counts of indecent assault, 6 counts of rape, and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Today (Tuesday 25 June) he was sentenced to 25 years in jail. 

Two of the victims were groomed by Williams when they were approximately 12 years old and he gave them items including cigarettes, alcohol and money.

During a four-year period which began in 1998, Williams went on to sexually abuse them at two addresses where he lived in Atherton.

A third victim was also sexually abused by Williams at his home.

Detective Constable Chris Waddicar of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Firstly, I want to thank the victims in this case for coming forward and being courageous enough to allow us to conduct a thorough investigation.

“Williams’ offending was depraved – he picked on vulnerable young children who were unable to defend themselves. 

“As an investigation team, we hope today’s sentencing can give them some reassurance that justice has been served and their perpetrator is locked up behind bars where he can no longer harm vulnerable members of our community.

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An evil paedophile threatened his young victim into remaining silent, saying she would be taken into care if she ever told anyone.

Andrew Meehan was jailed for 14 years at Leeds Crown Court this week after he was found guilty by a jury of multiple offences against an 11-year-old, and a further offence against a 15-year-old.

The court heard that Meehan initially “tested the water” with the girl and would show her sex toys and made her watch him masturbate.

He then began a campaign of abuse, sexually touching her and making her perform sex acts, telling her to “just do it”. The girl later said she cried herself to sleep.

But in a move that the judge described as being “mean, nasty and manipulative”, Meehan then targeted the girl over social media, pretending to be a 13-year-old boy and befriended her. He then then convinced her to send him explicit images, which he later shared to humiliate her.

The girl later tried to confide in others, but retracted her claims when Meehan said she would be taken into care and her family would disown her.

He later sexually assaulted the older victim by touching her bottom after making sexual comments.

Meehan, now of Orchard View Road, Chesterfield, was found guilty of assault of a girl under 13 by penetration, rape a girl under 13, cause or incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and possessing an indecent image.

Little mitigation was offered due his denials of the offences, but it was heard he had never been in trouble before.

He was told he must serve the-thirds of his sentence, rather than the usual half, before being considered for parole, and was put on the sex offender register for life.

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A former cadets leader has been jailed for non-recent sexual offences against two young girls.

Simon Taplin was sentenced to four and a half years’ imprisonment when he appeared before Portsmouth Crown Court on 3 June.

He had previously been found guilty of two counts of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 16, on 20 February at the same court.

Taplin, 64, of Springfied Close in Lavant, was charged with five further counts of sexual assault of a girl under the age of 16 and was found not guilty by the jury.

An investigation was launched in September 2020, when a third-party report came into Sussex Police that a woman had been sexually abused by Taplin as a child.

His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, met him at the cadets, with him using his position of power to abuse her.

The first incident occurred in 1996, when his victim was in her teens. Taplin continued to sexually abuse her numerous times over the next four years.

As part of the investigation, another woman bravely came forward and stated she was abused at around the same time by Taplin.

When she was a teenager, it was heard that she was abused by Taplin where he used his seniority to take advantage and sexually assault her during a cadet event.

In addition to the custodial sentence, Taplin was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Jason Berney, of the Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “I would like to express my gratitude for the bravery of the victims who came forward and gave evidence to police and in court.

“This bravery has secured Taplin’s sentence and it means a man who abused his power to take advantage of girls is now behind bars.

“I hope that any victims of sexual abuse are encouraged to come forward to report any crime or wrongdoing. We will investigate, no matter how long ago it was.”

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A paedophile from Derbyshire who sexually abused a girl when she was aged just eight has been handed a 14-year jail sentence.

Derby Crown Court heard how the victim had to relive her ordeal at the hands of Wayne Lilley giving evidence at a trial where he was found guilty of charges against her.

In a victim impact statement, the now teenager said what happened to her “impacts every part of her life” and that she did not report the abuse at the time as the defendant told her he would hurt her if she did.

And while he was on bail and under investigation for the sexual offences, the 39-year-old twice physically assaulted a woman he was in a relationship with and broke her wrist. Handing him a 13-year jail term, plus an extra 12-month extended licence, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “The victim impact statement outlines all of the ways this has affected this young lady.

“She is almost unrecognisable from the girl she was. She has gone from being a well-liked and popular student who was getting great school reports to one that is now so damaged.

“She is being bullied at school and suffers night terrors and nightmares. You stole what remained of her childhood.”

Vanessa Marshall KC, prosecuting, said Lilley refused to accept he carried out the sexual abuse. She said following a trial earlier this year, after hearing all of the evidence, a jury found him guilty of sexual assault of the girl.

The prosecutor read the victim’s statement, which was made by her mother. In it she said: “Our lives have been turned upside down. She was well-liked and now she is in crisis every day.

“The kids at her school heard rumours about what had happened to her and began bullying her. She moved school and now finds it incredibly difficult to make new friends.

“She suffers psychological issues, is sometimes not eating and other times overeating and even now is anxious around men she does not know even looking at her.”

Miss Marshall said Lilley, of Station Road, Bolsover, was arrested in January 2023 and bailed. But that month and then, in May last year, he assaulted his then partner, the second attack being captured on someone's mobile phone and was played at this week’s sentencing hearing.

He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm in relation to those attacks. Siward James-Moore, mitigating, said his client still maintains he is not guilty of the sex attacks but pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to the physical assaults.

As well as the jail sentence, the judge handed the defendant a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register, also for life.

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A victim of a convicted child sex offender has spoken out for the first time about her harrowing ordeal.

The girl was just a child when Michael Griffiths sexually assaulted her, permanently shattering her trust in others forever.

Griffiths, 34, from Tameside, was jailed for 11 years and three months for his crimes in October 2023. They include 17 counts of sexual activity with a child.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, one of his victims has revealed how the trauma she endured continues to devastate her life.

“I knew it was wrong,” she said. “I couldn’t do anything about it. I didn’t tell anyone for a year. My behaviour was off and I was stressed. I couldn’t tell anyone why; I just said it was school.”

Griffiths sexually assaulted the girl on three occasions over the course of several years. Though she was desperate to tell others what had happened, she worried nobody would believe her.

“I was just scared of him,” she added. “[During one assault] I just froze. I didn’t know what to do.

“I did want to tell people. He probably got more comfortable after he realised I wouldn’t say anything. It made me feel disgusted; it was revolting and I couldn’t do anything about it."

The victim says the assaults have impacted every aspect of her life – from relationships to school grades.

“[It’s affected] literally everything,” she added. “My school grades did drop a bit because of him.

“I don’t think I can ever look at anyone and not think they have malicious thoughts. I don’t think I can ever fully trust a person again because of it.

“My counsellor has been a big help. I had really bad anxiety when it all came out. It just felt so unreal; I wasn’t expecting it to come out like it did.

The victim says she is slowly starting to rebuild her life. “I’m doing a lot better than when it came out and when it happened,” she said.

“I feel like I’ve come to accept it now. I know I can’t change it and it wasn’t my fault and there’s nothing I can do about it now.

“It belongs in the past. Now I just do what I can to move on.”

Griffiths was also convicted of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

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Rebecca Joynes (30/12/1993) of Waterman Walk, Salford, was found guilty by a majority verdict at Manchester Crown Square Court today (Friday 17 May 2024) of six sexual offences against two boys.

Joynes was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a child on 18 October 2021 and was later charged with six counts of sexual activity - four counts of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

The court heard that Joynes contacted two teenage boys - who cannot be named for legal reasons - she met while she was a teacher at a Greater Manchester school.

Jurors previously heard Joynes groomed one pupil by taking him to the Trafford Centre, where she bought him a £345 Gucci belt, before having sex with him in her flat.

Joynes was later suspended from her post and was discovered to have fallen pregnant with the second boy, who she first met aged 15.

She was arrested, suspended from work and bailed while we investigated the allegations about the first victim.

At this time, Joynes was in contact with the other boy on social media, despite a ban on her contacting anyone aged under 18.

She claimed they only had sex after she was sacked, which was when she fell pregnant, despite Joynes allegedly telling him it was ‘almost impossible’ for her to conceive due to a health issue. He learned she was pregnant ‘to his great shock’ after she gave him a baby grow.

Their daughter was taken from her following an emergency court hearing 24 hours after delivery.

Joynes will be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Constable Beth Alexander, of our Child Protection Investigation Unit in Salford, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the victims and their families for being brave enough to come forward and work with us in our investigation.

“Rebecca Joynes is a sexual predator. She was their teacher and they rightfully put their trust in her.

“But Joynes decided to abuse her position and used it to groom two teenagers.

“We welcome today’s verdict and now wait for Joynes to face the consequences for her actions.

“I would like to thank the officers who have worked closely with the victims and their families in establishing the full circumstances of this case, as well as the investigation team for their hard work and dedication during this investigation.

“The two victims and their families have asked for their privacy to be respected now and moving forward – they all wish to carry on with their lives and put this ordeal behind them.”

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A sexual predator who attacked two women on Metrolink trams has been branded as posing a 'risk to females'. Tahir Ali, 37, groped a student after sitting next to her, and weeks later pressed his body against the bottom of a 16-year-old girl for his own sexual pleasure, in front of her mother.

University student Ali has been banned from using trams indefinitely after targeting his victims who were complete strangers, and had boarded trams at Exchange Square on the Rochdale and Oldham line. Manchester Crown Court heard that he has an 'appalling' criminal history, and has six previous offences of sexual assault on his record.

His lawyer said Ali's deviant behaviour is a 'compulsion' which he has been 'unable to resist'. Remorseless Ali, from Oldham, forced his victims to give evidence in court after he refused to admit his crimes. He was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty.

Prosecuting, Nick Ross told how Ali’s first victim noticed that he was staring at her while she waited to board a tram at Exchange Square on November 14 last year. When she got on the tram, Ali sat behind her but then moved to sit directly next to her.

Ali then began to move his hands up and down her leg ‘in a sexual manner’, Mr Ross said. He got up when the woman asked him to stop.

Weeks later, Ali boarded another Rochdale bound tram at Exchange Square, on December 22 last year. His 16-year-old victim was with her mother on the busy tram when she noticed a man pressing against her bottom.

When she turned around she saw that Ali’s penis was erect. Ali left the tram at Failsworth, where the girl’s mother shouted at him. He proceeded to board another tram heading back into the city centre.

“It is horrifying that you sexually assaulted a 16-year-old victim as her own mother was present in the tram carriage,” Judge Tom Gilbart told Ali. “You were travelling on the Metrolink system for the purposes of sexual gratification.”

Ali’s first victim said his behaviour was ‘disgusting’. In a statement read to the court, she said: “I don’t feel comfortable sitting on my own on the tram. I was scared at the time that he would follow me home.”

The 16-year-old said: “I felt like I couldn’t do anything to stop the male touching me. I felt like the male had power over me. I don’t want to see this male on the tram again. He is a risk to females. I want him to know that he can’t get away with what he has done to me.”

Mr Ross said of Ali, who was caught out on Metrolink CCTV cameras: “The Crown suggests he is a persistent sexual predator.” His previous sexual assaults include attacks on a woman in a shop and in a library.

When he was interviewed by a probation officer prior to sentencing, Ali continued to ‘completely deny’ his wrongdoing and claimed he’d been ‘set up’.

Defending, David Morton said Ali was enrolled in the first year of a business and finance university course prior to his incarceration. He said of Ali’s behaviour: “These are compulsions that he has been hitherto unable to resist.”
A sexual harm prevention order was imposed indefinitely, to prevent Ali from using the Metrolink system. Ali, of Kelverlow Street, Oldham, was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault.

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A PERVERT has been jailed following the reveal of disgusting sexual crimes he committed over 50 years ago.

Leslie Ruddick, 69, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court last Friday, September 29, for historical sexual abuse allegations.

Ruddick committed the acts between November 23, 1971, and November 22, 1978.

The 69-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of ‘indecent assault on a woman’, which was the charge at the time.

This was changed in the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and Ruddick’s offences would carry a far harsher sentence with today’s sentencing guidelines, with it being stated these charges would carry a maximum sentence of between 14 years and life in prison depending on the charge.

Whilst these charges may still have carried a larger sentence, the prosecution told the court that – due to a clerical error in the charge – each charge would carry a maximum of just two years.

The prosecution went on to describe how, on multiple occasions in Liverpool between 1971 and 1978, when he was between the ages of 18 and 25, Ruddick climbed into bed and used his fingers to penetrate a girl when she was between the age of seven and 12.

In a powerful victim statement, read out by the victim in person, the court heard how it had taken her ‘most her life to get this point where she could stand up to the abuse he did.’

She said: “He stole my innocence.

“I was made to feel like it was my fault, and I was called a liar. I took to self-harming, I even tore my hair out.

“I have carried the burdens of someone else’s actions for years.

“He must have thought that little girl would not have a voice, but that girl is a woman now.”

The legal principle of totality, which states ‘when sentencing an offender for more than one offence, to impose a total sentence which reflects the overall criminality and is just and proportionate’, generally dissuades judges from giving consecutive sentences to multiple offences.

The prosecution, however, argued that, due to the maximum of just two years per charge, consecutive sentences was necessary to reflect the seriousness of Ruddick’s offending.

Defending Ruddick, Jim Smith, however, argued that concurrent sentences, meaning they would run alongside one another, was suitable for this case.

They pointed to Ruddick’s successful professional and personal career since as the signs of him having changed in character and pointed to the early guilty plea as an admission of guilt and sign of remorse.

This is despite the fact that Ruddick, of Irons Lane Chester, claimed he did not recall the offences.

They went on to state that the Chester man was not of good health.

Judge Atherton, presiding over the case, said: “You took an opportunity to sexually assault [the victim] when she should have been safe.

“There were severe consequences for her wellbeing.

“It was explained eloquently in her victim personal statement how it has taken nearly her whole life that she has felt strong enough to speak up about this.

“Throughout her life she felt she was not good enough. She has been called a liar. She has been made to feel she was at fault.

“You are the father of three successful adults.

“Throughout the time you were successfully building a life, your victim was suffering throughout all those years.”

Of the four charges, two were separate to denote penetration, whilst two covered ‘indecent assault’ without penetration.

For the two charges alleging penetration, Ruddick received one year each. For the other two charges, the Chester man received six months each.

This total of three years was then reduced to two years, with the defendant receiving a full 1/3 credit due to his early guilty plea.

Despite this falling under the threshold where suspended sentences are typically allowed, Judge Atherton stated that ‘an immediate custodial sentence is necessary’.

A minimum of half of the two year sentence will be served in prison, and Ruddick will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years.

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A MAN who raped a woman and subjected her to a ‘horrific ordeal’ in her Knutsford home has been jailed.

Marcell Koekemoer, of HMP Bristol, but previously of Stretford, was sentenced on Tuesday, April 30.

He was previously found guilty of two counts of rape in relation to the incidents following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The case first came to the attention of Cheshire Police in August 2022 when the victim submitted an online report stating she had been raped by Koekemoer.

She told officers Koekemoer had asked to stay at her address in Knutsford two days previously, after being locked out of his own address.

She agreed he could stay, providing he slept on the sofa.

However, during the early hours of the morning, Koekemoer entered her bedroom and proceeded to rape her.

The following morning, he raped her again when she asked him to leave her address.

Koekemoer was arrested in August 2022 and interviewed in relation to the allegations, which he denied.

He was subsequently released on conditional bail while further enquiries were undertaken.

While on bail, Koekemoer went on to commit further offences in the Avon and Somerset area.

Following a joint investigation by both forces, Koekemoer was charged in October 2023.

On top of his custodial sentence, he is subject to an indefinite restraining order and must sign the sex offender register for life.

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A MAN found guilty of raping a 10-year-old child at an address in Winsford has been handed a sentence totalling 17 years.

Previously, we reported Mark Buckley was convicted of the charge following a seven-day trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Tuesday, March 5.

The 48-year-old, now of Hoole Road, Chester, appeared back before court on Thursday, May 2, before Judge Steven Everett.

Buckley, who was also convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child, was handed a 16-year prison sentence, plus 12 months extended licence.

The terms of the sentence mean Buckley must serve at least two-thirds of the 16 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.

Prosecuting, Karl Scholz said the victim was just 10 years old at the time the offences were committed, which had left the victim with bruising on her arm.

Buckley was, in August 2021, handed a suspended sentence in court for a number of offences including possession of indecent images of children and attempting to communicate with children sexually online.

He appeared back before court for numerous breaches of the suspended sentence and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and was jailed.

The victim spoke out to a friend's relative in August 2023, around the time Buckley was due to be released from prison, and the matter was reported to police, leading to Buckley being rearrested.

The victim, in her personal statement, said she had struggled with sleeping and had nightmares about what had happened.

She added if she saw Buckley again she would 'hate it'.

Defending, Simon Parry said while it was accepted Buckley would receive a significant sentence, he did not meet the criteria of dangerousness for an even lengthier sentence.

Judge Everett, sentencing, told the defendant: "There is not a single redeeming feature for you," adding he had 'no care, no thought, for young children' and had shown 'no remorse'.

He commended the bravery of the victim, adding: "I can only hope that somehow she will get some closure and will be able to move forward. I sincerely hope so."

Detective Constable Bryony Aston said: Firstly, I would like to commend the victim for the bravery and courage they have shown in coming forward and talking about what happened to them.

Buckley has shown no remorse for his actions, and while the victim will never be able to forget what happened that night, I hope that the verdict reached today will provide them with some reassurance and help them to move forward.

Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been though and if anything can come from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.

Cheshire Police takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.

Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.

The victim's family added: "We would like to thank DC Aston for the help and support that she has provided throughout this case. She has gone above and beyond to help us through this difficult time and the determination that she has shown should be commended.

"Thanks to her work, Buckley is now facing the consequences of his actions and as a family we can now start to move forward and rebuild our lives."

As well as the sentence totalling 17 years, Buckley was handed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order meaning Buckley cannot contact or live with children aged under 16, or use internet-enabled devices without making them available for police inspection.

He was also handed a lifetime restraining order against the victim and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A man who raped and sexually abused a child has been jailed for 18 years.

Martyn Garland carried out a catalogue of horrific abuse against the girl who hadnt even reached her teens.

His crimes came to light when she reported the matter to police years later.

In a victim impact statement, she said: I have spent many years crying for the little girl that got trapped inside of me after he destroyed my innocence and my childhood.

The trauma has hung over me like a shadow that has crept into every part of my existence leaving me feeling like a lost cause, like Ive been damaged beyond repair.

I havent been able to put my trust into anybody for almost 20 years and I dont believe that there is anybody that I will ever fully trust.

There have been times where I have felt suicidal because the pain has been too much where I have turned to alcohol to stop me from feeling for a moment. But I know that deep down I dont want to die. I have too much to live for.

I just so desperately want, need, the pain to stop.

I am trying so hard to be stronger. This has honestly impacted everything that I do. Each day I wake up and I have to force myself to get out of bed when all I want to do is just lay there.

I live it every day. Its because I dont feel like any of these words are enough. They dont truly convey exactly how much hes destroyed and how much of my life hes truly taken away. I know I would be an entirely different person and had an entirely different life had this not happened and that is a difficult thing to comprehend.

Garland, 50, of Mercaston Close, Holme Hall, Chesterfield, was arrested and subsequently charged with a number of offences including rape, sexual assault, cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and assault by penetration.

He denied the offences, forcing the woman to go through a trial but a jury saw through his lies and he was convicted after a trial at Derby Crown Court.

He appeared at the same court for sentencing on Friday 19 April where he was jailed for 18 years with an extended licence period of a year. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

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A 34-year-old man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a young woman on a train between Birmingham and Manchester

Kristaps Berzins, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to sexual assault at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court

The court heard that despite  the woman wearing headphones, he attempted to engage her in conversation making personal and inappropriate comments.

Berzins remarks became increasingly aggressive eventually escalating to him sexually assaulting the woman.

When Berzins went to the toilet the woman quickly moved to another seat and reported what had happened to a member of train staff who alerted British Transport Police.

He was jailed for seven months and issued with a five year Sexual Harm Prevention order which forbids him from sitting next to or across from, approaching, touching or communicating with any lone female on public transport.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for seven years and pay compensation of £300.

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A SUPERMARKET worker downloaded hundreds of sick images including videos of child sex abuse, a court has heard.

James Baines appeared in court for sentencing on Thursday after admitting five counts of possessing indecent images.

Police raided Baines’s address in King Stephen Road last year and seized a Samsung mobile phone which was found to have 255 category A images, 138 category B images, and 63 category C images.

Further searches found a Google Drive folder on Baines’s laptop contained three category A videos and two category C images.

Category A images are classified as being the most serious as they depict penetration of a child whilst they are in pain or distress.

Baines first appeared at the magistrates' court where he admitted three charges of making an indecent photograph of a child and two charges of possessing an indecent photograph of a child.

The case was then transferred to the crown court so a greater sentenced could be passed.

Lucy Sweetland, prosecuting, told Ipswich Crown Court that Baines said to officers he was “not shocked” when they had turned up at his address to execute a search warrant.

Baines had said the images were initially sent to him by other internet users in an online chat group but he “willingly accepted the images and continued to access the chatroom”, Miss Sweetland said.

The court heard how most of the images were of children around the age of six, with one image depicting a child as young as four months.

Miss Sweetland continued: “Another image shows a child distressed and crying during the abuse.”

Frank O’Toole, mitigating, said Baines, 24, had no previous convictions and was working full-time in a supermarket.

He added: “He is not trying to blame anyone else and he is not saying he was bamboozled or taken advantage of because of his age – he doesn’t know why he did it.

“The difficulty he has had from early adulthood was that he lost his hair and became very, very self-conscious because of that – he had decided to go to university but abandoned that idea because he felt his peer group wouldn’t relate to him.

“He self-imposed a personality that removed him from the normal exchanges he would have had with that group - to an extent, he was isolated."

Judge David Pugh sentenced Baines to an eight-month prison term suspended for two years, ordered him to complete 30 days of rehab activity requirements, and imposed a £340 payment for costs.

Baines has also been placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years.

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A 75-year-old man from Eccles has been jailed for eight years after abusing a boy for more than a decade. 

Raymond Willan pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, two counts of sexual activity with a child aged 13-16 and possession of extreme pornography.

Willan, who has been described as the “worst kind of predator”, was jailed for eight years at Manchester Crown Court on March 12 2024.

The abuse came to light after the victim disclosed it had been happening for several years.

Specialist GMP investigators praised the young victim for his bravery in reporting the abuse.

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A woman was subjected to a ‘humiliating’ sexual assault by a stranger in the Gay Village on New Year’s Eve. Abuzahra Rabea, 27, attacked the young woman without warning as she walked along the street with friends.

Rabea, a total stranger, approached her before he ‘shoved’ his hand up her skirt and forcefully groped her. After the ‘shocking’ attack, Rabea allegedly said he ‘could do what he wants’ and that he can ‘touch who he wants’.

Rabea, an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a small boat from France, was on ‘immigration bail’ while his application remained outstanding. He has now been jailed for 18 months.

“Your victim was going about her lawful business, on a night out with friends,” Judge Hilary Manley told him during the sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court. “You deliberately approached her in the street, and with no preamble you forcibly shoved your hand up her dress and then groped her genital area with force.

“You were aggressive during and after the incident. This was frightening, humiliating, shocking and violating.

“Like many women and girls, your victim already had experienced sexual violence and assault in her life. What you did exacerbates those previous experiences.

“Women and girls must be able to go about their business, whether they are on their way to school or work or college, whether they are out walking in public or on a night out, without being targeted, assaulted and humiliated, and without fearing it might happen.”

Prosecuting, Phil Barnes told how the victim had been out celebrating the New Year when Rabea approached them, at about 2.20am in the early hours of January 1 last year. Rabea, who was said to be ‘extremely drunk’, was pushed away by the woman who shouted at him. He began to run away but her friends gave chase in a bid to stop him.

At one point they stopped him and Rabea was heard to say ‘sorry miss’ in ‘broken English’. A friend claimed they heard him say he ‘could do what he wants’ and ‘touch who he wants’.

He broke free but was detained a short distance away after the woman’s friends alerted police nearby. In an interview with officers, he denied sexually assaulting anyone and falsely claimed that the victim’s friends had tried to rob him at knifepoint.

“When you were apprehended, you added insult to injury by falsely claiming your victim had in some way committed a crime against you, that was a lie,” Judge Manley added.

“What you did has had a profound effect on many aspects of her life, and there is of course always the fear of something like this happening again. Having read the pre-sentence report I note you have shown little remorse or insight.”

The victim made a powerful statement in court in front of Rabea before he was sent down to begin his sentence. She said: “The night of January 1, 2023 was supposed to mark a new beginning for me. It was my New Year too. Another year where I dared to hope that the nightmares would fade.

“But instead it became another chapter in a story of pain and violation at the hands of another predator.” She said Rabea had seen her as a ‘mere object to satisfy your depraved desires’. She continued: “You didn’t see the years I spent wearing a mask, trying to cover my fear and pain from the world. You don’t see the courage it takes to step outside each day.

“It was my own perseverance that ultimately led to your arrest. The crime you committed against me is no small matter.

“You have added to the memories I struggle to suppress every waking moment. I doubt you care about the lasting impact your actions have had on my life.

“Until we can walk the streets without fear, until we can hold our heads high without the threat of sexual assault looming over us, none of us are truly safe.” The court heard that Rabea was first known to the authorities in the UK in 2017 when he entered the country in a ‘clandestine’ manner on a small boat from France.

He applied for asylum in the UK in 2022 and was on ‘immigration bail’ while his application remained undecided. He had no previous convictions on his record in this country.

Defending, Neil Ronan said that Rabea, who is originally from Egypt, had fled his native country after suffering a ‘vicious and violent attack’. He appealed to the judge to spare Rabea jail, noting that the probation service had deemed him to present a ‘low risk of reoffending’.

But Judge Manley said the offence was too serious for a suspended sentence. “Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody in a case like this,” she added.

Rabea, of Cable Street, Manchester, pleaded guilty to sexual assault. He will serve half of the 18 month jail term in prison, and was ordered to sign the sex offender’s register for 10 years.