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Description

A former maths teacher has been spared jail over sexual abuse he committed on a pupil more than 40 years ago, due to his age and infirmity.

Michael McCue indecently assaulted a number of students at the former Page Moss School, later Bowring Community Sports College in Huyton, Liverpool, over the course of several decades. Fresh allegations surfaced last year after another victim came forward.

The now 91-year-old has been put behind bars on several occasions previously as a result of his crimes - but he was spared the same fate this time, the Liverpool Echo reported.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday (March 24) that McCue "abused his clear position of trust" a the school, which closed in 2009 after merging with Knowsley Hey High School to form the Lord Derby Academy, in order to sexually assault the then teenage boy in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

This included him touching and stroking the complainant's legs before putting his hands into his pockets and waistband and touching his penis while commenting "you like that" and "you know what I want".

David Polglase, prosecuting, outlined how the defendant, of Dolphin Road in Currie, near Edinburgh, would also take hold of the pupil's hand and place it onto his own penis.

McCue was initially said to have "befriended" his student by speaking of his "adventures to the mountains, Scotland and skiing", offering to pay for him to go on school trips and inviting him to play billiards at his home address while "comforting him" when he was targeted by bullies.

However, he then went on to assault the boy in his classroom while "positioning himself so as not to be seen by other pupils". Mr Polglase described how the victim "couldn't believe what was happening", but said that his "age and vulnerability prevented him from speaking up".

McCue would also abuse the boy after giving him detention. The pensioner was interviewed by detectives in May last year after the complainant disclosed the attacks, but denied the allegation and stated that he "must have got the wrong teacher".

The victim of the assaults told the court from the witness box: "From a young age, I was subjected to manipulation from someone who I was supposed to trust. This has driven me to attempt to take my own life on several occasions. In moments of despair, I feel like there is no escape from the pain that haunts me daily.

"The journey to recovery is long and fraught with challenges. Each day is a battle against the shadow of my past. I'm constantly reminded of the innocence that was stolen from me. He stole what should have been the formative years of my life, shaping me to being a responsible and normal man.

"He stole these opportunities from me for his own sexual gratification. I seek justice not only for myself but for all of the victims of abuse who have suffered in silence."

McCue has previously appeared before the law for sexual offences on four occasions. This saw him receive 15 months for three counts of indecent assault in 2001, six months for similar counts in 2004, a suspended prison sentence in 2006, two years in 2014 for a total of 12 offences and a further suspended jail term in 2016.

David Watson, defending, said on his behalf: "He is 91 years of age. That goes hand in hand with his health. There was a hospital admission relatively recently, in August and September last year, for a period of two weeks due to stomach issues.

"The defendant suffers significant issues with incontinence. He wears a pad for these purposes. He cannot be far from a lavatory at any time. He has significant mobility issues.

"The defendant is effectively housebound. He leaves his house very rarely. Sometimes, a neighbour will take him to withdraw cash and matters of that sort. Under his own steam, he is not able to leave the house. He would be significantly vulnerable in a custodial setting through his age and infirmity.

"He has not offended since his very first conviction. The court can be confident that he will not offend again. Justice has been served on this defendant with suspended sentences, and, in my submission, given his age and infirmity, should be again."

McCue admitted 10 counts of indecent assault. Appearing in the dock wearing a grey coat and glasses and walking with the aid of two sticks, he was handed a 24-month imprisonment suspended for two years.

Sentencing, District Judge Gwyn Jones said: "You were a teacher at that school in your mid-50s, where the public and students alike would look up to you. However, behind that respectable façade, you were a sexual deviant who used his position to take advantage of those who you felt were vulnerable.

"You had an unhealthy desire to satisfy your own sexual needs, having no regard whatsoever to the pain and trauma of those victims who you have offended against. By targeting these students, you took away their innocence and the opportunity to grow up without the trauma we have heard of in court today.

"You were betraying your profession. He felt he was powerless and that he could do very little. It has had a significant adverse impact on his life to date.

"The past is catching up. You are now 91 years of age. You are not in the best of health. You are living a solitary life in your own home. You have little, if any, social life.

"I am satisfied, for the reasons I have outlined, that the risk you pose can be managed in the community. You have a home that may be lost if you were given a lengthy custodial sentence and any work that could meaningfully be done within a prison environment may not be capable of being concluded in that period of time."

McCue was also told to pay court costs of £1,000 within 28 days and will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. He then stood at the conclusion of the hearing and said: "Your honour, thank you very much."

Description

A twisted sex offender who sexually abused children in Perthshire over a 15-year period – including attacking one while on bail – is behind bars.

Corey Fair’s perverted behaviour began before he turned 14, preying on a girl who was still in primary school.

Description

A child-abusing pensioner may not be alive by the end of his lengthy prison sentence.

That was the stark message given to Alec Calvert after he received prison terms totalling 24 years at Durham Crown Court for offences on which he was convicted earlier this year.

The 77-year-old defendant of Northbridge Park, St Helen Auckland, who has no previous convictions, denied an 11-count indictment, including seven charges of sexual assault and one each for rape, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child and attempted sexual assault.

He accused all three victims of fabricating the allegations and telling lies to the police and court.

But on the ninth day of his trial, in January, unanimous guilty verdicts were returned on all 11 counts by the jury.

Calvert had already admitted two counts of making indecent images of a child and one of possessing extreme pornography.

He appeared at the court for sentence via video link from Durham Prison, where he has been on remand.

The court was told Calvert was under investigation for offences committed against two of the victims, when he was involved in grooming-type behaviour with an older girl who he bought alcohol for, persuaded to send him intimate images of herself and drove to secluded areas to sexually assault.

When he was arrested by police last summer, he was found nearly naked with the girl in his car, parked in a disused docks area.

Impact statements were read to the court on behalf of all three of the victims.

One said she has since struggled to trust older men and distances herself from them in public places, while she had worried that she would bump into the defendant until he was remanded in custody.

Chris Baker, for Calvert, said there was not a great deal he could say on his behalf, given his denials and the guilty verdicts.

“He’s aware he’s had his trial and lost, and there’s little by way of mitigation which can be put to the court because of that.

“Perhaps the most significant submission I can make over the sentencing exercise is the issue of totality.

“It’s not an adding up exercise.

“He’s a man with no previous convictions."

Judge Nathan Adams said it was repeat offending over a number of years demonstrating the defendant’s "paedophilic proclivities for his own sexual gratification".

Imposing consecutive sentences, relating to each of the three victims, totalling 24 years, the judge said Calvert must serve at least two-thirds, 16 years, before the Parole Board can consider if it’s safe to release him.

But he may have to serve the full 24 years and, should he ever be released, he will be subject to two years’ licence extension.

Description

A "dangerous" Surrey sex offender has been jailed for abuse that spanned decades. Derek Jinman committed the offences, involving four victims aged 6 to 16, over a period of more than 11 years.

He was found guilty of 15 counts of serious sexual abuse, including rape. The 73-year-old, of Woking, has now been sentenced to 22 years in prison. Jinman was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Monday (March 24).

Description

A Lincoln man who sent sexualised messages and graphic images to a 13-year-old girl says he went on a 'drug binge' and couldn't remember his actions.

Jack Trollope, formerly of Fairfax Street, admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child and sending a photograph of his private area to cause alarm, distress or humiliation.

The 37-year-old had pleaded guilty to two charges at an earlier hearing ahead of sentencing at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, March 21. Trollope, who was already a registered sex offender when the offences took place, was remanded until he was dealt with.

It was heard in court how Trollope evaded police for a week after he committed the crimes and was classed as a high-risk missing person, before handing himself in at Mansfield House Police Station in Leicester. He made a full admission to officers in an interview, claiming he had been on a drug binge over the last week and could not remember any of his actions.

Trollope was sentenced to two years behind bars and handed a sexual harm prevention order. He was given a 12-month sentence for the aforementioned offences, and this triggered the activation of a suspended sentence given to Trollope after he pleaded guilty to sending a photo or film of his private area to cause alarm, distress or humiliation in December

Case officer Bethany Wright, from Lincolnshire Police, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in this investigation and helped compile the evidence to bring this case to court. Trollope sent inappropriate messages to his victim that no child should have to see."

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a woman and stole her underwear has avoided a prison sentence.

Sean Raven, 26, "violated" his victim's body, the woman said, and made "lewd" comments towards her.

Prosecuting, David Fosler told Southampton Magistrates’ Court that Raven touched her inappropriately over her clothing which made her feel “shocked and uncomfortable”.

In a separate incident, he said to her: "I want to see what underwear you are wearing."

This "again made her uncomfortable," Mr Fosler said.

The court heard how Raven also stole the woman’s underwear from her car.

In a victim impact statement read to the court by Mr Fosler, the woman said: “I told him there is help out there he can get.

“Sean took advantage of my understanding nature, and it is only now I realise his actions are dangerous.

“He violated my body by touching me and invading my personal space, and making lewd comments towards me.”

Mitigating, Oliver O’Connor said Raven did not take advantage of the woman, rather, “misunderstood" due to his autism.

He said: “Mr Raven has quite severe autism and work needs to be done so we can make sure this behaviour does not happen again.”

Raven, of Adey Close, Southampton, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault, theft from a motor vehicle and assault by beating.

Deputy District Judge Paul Booty told Raven he is “very lucky” because the touching was done over the woman’s clothing.

“Otherwise, you could be facing a prison sentence," he said.

Raven was handed a two-year community order and must complete up to 45 rehabilitation activity requirements and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Description

A Sandwell man who arranged to meet a 12 year-old girl for sex has been jailed.

Gary Jefferis was jailed for four years at Wolverhampton Crown Court after he admitted sending messages online in November last year.

Jefferis, 65, used online chat platforms to send explicit messages, asking the age of the girl he was speaking to.

When he was told he was speaking to a 12-year-old, he said that wasn't an issue.

Over the course of the messages, Jefferis repeatedly asked to meet the girl and sent sexual messages and photos.

Jefferis arranged to meet the girl at Sandwell and Dudley train station with the intention of having sex.

When Jefferis arrived at the station, however, he was arrested by officers.

In interview, Jefferis said he hadn't intended to go through with his plan and that he was not really interested in girls.

Despite this, the extensive record of messages he had sent showed his intentions.

Jefferis, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison on 14 March this year.

He was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Description

A predator booked a hotel to meet with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl for sex. Police officers were alerted to Ciaran Clark, from Ross Street in Widnes, after he was caught in the act by an undercover officer pretending to be a 12-year-old child in an online chatroom.

The 46-year-old had even booked a hotel room in anticipation of meeting the child. Detectives immediately arrested the 46-year-old on December 31 last year and he was charged and remanded on New Year's Day.

Clark appeared at Chester Crown Court on March 17 to be sentenced after pleading guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence - rape / assault by penetration of child under 13, and being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He was jailed for 10 years.

As well as the jail term he was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. DC Faye Taylor from Cheshire Constabulary’s OCAIT team said: “Clark was unaware he was sending his warped messaging to an undercover officer. He’d even booked a hotel room in anticipation of meeting the child.

“This is what makes us so determined to catch these people and stay on duty to make sure they are remanded into custody. Even though he was talking to an adult, he was unaware, and the intent was there - his messages were despicable.

“As a team we are driven to stop people like Clark in their tracks and we will do all we possibly can to protect children at risk from these predatory paedophiles.”

Description

A man from Banbury that police describe as a 'dangerous offender' has been sent to prison for sexually abusing a child.

Colin Lomas, of High Furlong, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Oxford Crown Court on Friday (March 13).

The 59-year-old was also been placed on a sexual harm prevention order for life.

The sentencing comes after the Banbury man pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a child under 13, in Oxfordshire in the past five years.

Detective Constable Samantha Hunter of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased that Lomas has been sentenced to jail and will be the subject of a prevention order for life.

“He is clearly a dangerous offender who is a danger to children.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim in coming forward and I hope that the conviction allows her and her family to move on with their lives.

“We hope that this case shows that we are committed to investigating sexual offences and would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of a sexual offence to please come forward.”

Colin Lomas was arrested on July 26, 2023, and charged on January 25, 2024.

Description

A 30-year-old man has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of two offences of rape, and one of sexual assault in Southsea, following a four-day trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Aaron Horsfall of no fixed address was sentenced on Thursday 20 March.

Horsfall was charged as part of our investigation into the rape of a 19-year-old woman at an address of Waverley Road on 16 September last year.

He will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A man who was found guilty of the rape of a 17-year-old girl in Southampton city centre has been jailed for seven years and three months.

Runakl Shawn Delecia, 45, of Lynton Road in Bristol, appeared at Southampton Crown Court today (Friday 21 March) for sentence, having been found guilty of rape at the same court earlier this month.

The court was told how the victim, who is now 19 but was 17-years-old at the time of the incident, was approached by Delecia in the Carlton Place area of the city centre at around 1.30am on Sunday 9 April 2023, shortly before he raped her.

It was heard how Delecia could be seen on CCTV leading the girl away from Carlton Place and towards Carlton Crescent. After security staff working in the area were able to identify Delecia, he was arrested by police and charged with the offence, which he denied.

Following a six day trial at Southampton Crown Court, a jury found him guilty of rape on Monday 3 March and he has now been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.

Officer in charge of the case Detective Constable Laura Cook, of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s specialist rape and serious sexual offences unit Operation Amberstone, said: “First and foremost, I must express my thanks to the victim in this case for her support in bringing Delecia to justice for this awful and predatory crime.

“The courage it takes to come forward and speak to us about incidents of this nature should not be underestimated and the fact that Delecia is now behind bars is testament to her bravery in speaking out and assisting us with this investigation.

“The Operation Amberstone team works tirelessly to target perpetrators of rape, and provide specialist support to survivors who have been affected.

“I hope that this sentence goes some way to helping the young woman involved gain closure and begin to move forward with her life. We want our communities, and survivors of abuse, to know that we stand with them and will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

Southampton Chief Inspector Mark Lumley said: “We are pleased with this sentence today and hope that it sends a clear message to anyone who comes to our city centre with the intention of causing harm to others. No-one in our community should ever be in a position where they do not feel safe walking the streets. For someone to be targeted in this way is abhorrent and will never be tolerated by police.

“Myself and my officers, who work tirelessly alongside our valued partnership agencies to ensure that Southampton is a safe and welcoming place to visit after dark, are committed to ensuring the safety of everyone in our city centre.

“It is thanks to the support of our security colleagues, and the nearby pubs and clubs, alongside the help of CCTV, that we were able to identify and arrest Delecia so quickly.

“We continue with our dedicated patrols at times when our pubs and clubs are at their busiest. A key focus of our officers, together with our partners, is to identify vulnerable people and safeguard them, as well as targeting and calling out perpetrators, arresting and using dispersal powers where necessary.

“We work very hard in Southampton to tackle sexual offences in partnership with organisations that support survivors. We want you to have the confidence to come forward and talk to us, knowing that you will be believed and supported, if something has happened to you, or somebody you know.”

Description

A Huddersfield man has been jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offences against a child.

Joshua Martin, aged 26, from Primrose Hill, Huddersfield was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today ( Friday 21 March) for four offences of sexual activity with an underage female.

Offending took place between 2024 and early 2025 during which period Martin groomed and then began to sexually offend against his victim.

The matter was reported to police in early 2025, leading to an investigation by the Kirklees District Child Safeguarding Unit.

Martin was arrested and charged to appear before Leeds Crown Court on 13 January.

Aside from the sexual offences, Martin was also convicted for failing to comply with the requirements of being on the Sex Offenders Register.

Description

Martin Fawcett, 55, of Cluttons Close, Crowland, was recently sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a child under 13 years’ old.

The result brought a lengthy eight-month investigation to a close and gave his victim some sense of closure – even if the road ahead is long.

Like all cases of this type, it required a huge effort involving teams from across Lincolnshire Police.

Response officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic scientists, digital forensics experts and child communication experts all played their part.

So did the Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) Team.

Working alongside the Crown Prosecution Service, everyone worked to build a case that had the best chance of success.

It began when a brave family made the decision to put their faith in the police force to protect their child and to get justice for what had happened to them.

Officers worked with the family in those initial hours to gather vital evidence and to ensure that the suspect was arrested as soon as possible.

This was so that he could be processed for evidence and interviewed.

Once work had begun, the case was referred to the Protecting Vulnerable People department, a specialist investigation unit specialising in sexual offences against children (among others).

An Officer in the Case was assigned to coordinate the investigation.

Detectives worked with response officers and crime scene investigators to gather evidence from the crime scene.

These were what police call ‘Golden Hour Enquiries’– evidence gathering in the earliest stages of the investigation when evidence is in abundance and most vulnerable to loss or degradation.

This included a full search of the offence location, seizure of electronic devices, and gathering forensic evidence.

Vitally, during these early stages, the full extent of risk to the victim, family, suspect, and the public was established, and strategies were put into play to manage these risks.

Detectives worked with the family, the victim’s school, and MOSOVO to ensure that risk was effectively managed.

This continued throughout, as well as during the build up to court and sentencing, including support from our Neighbourhood Policing Team who monitored potential tensions arising from the case and spoke with the local people about their concerns.

Longer term investigative action then began, including reviewing and downloading digital devices (with the support of our Police Online Investigation Team and our Digital Forensics Unit), analysing forensics.

A further interview with the suspect was undertaken as new evidence came to light, as well as gathering statements from disclosure witnesses.

During this stage, detectives also worked with a Registered Intermediary (a child communication expert) to complete a video recorded interview with the young victim.

This was to ensure that when their evidence was presented in court, it would be the best evidence.

Finally, once all evidence had been gathered and analysed, the Officer in Case was responsible for pulling this together ready to go to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.

The case officer worked with the Officer in the Case to review unused material and third-party material, ensuring that there was full disclosure to ensure a fair trial for the suspect.

Detective Brennan said, “It was an honour to lead this investigation and to work alongside dedicated colleagues who consistently demonstrate a victim-centred, suspect-focused approach to investigation.

“As a team, we are so grateful that the victim’s family put their trust in us to get them the justice they deserved.

“We hope that this positive outcome will encourage other victims to come forward.”

Description

Lee Alan Kneller, 39, of Chaffinch Green, Waterlooville appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 7 February, where he was sentenced to eight and a half years imprisonment for robbery and sexual assault.

On Saturday 8 June 2024, officers were called to reports that the woman in her 40s had been attending an address on Vian Road in her role as a carer, when Kneller had knocked on the door and pushed his way past her into the address, claiming to need to use the bathroom.

The woman told Kneller to leave, however he proceeded to sexually assault her and demand money, before stealing her handbag and fleeing the address.

An investigation was immediately launched by Havant and East Hants Criminal Investigations Department, and thanks to CCTV enquiries and the public’s response to a media appeal for information, Kneller was quickly identified and arrested later the same day.

Kneller pleaded guilty to both robbery and sexual assault and was sentenced on Friday 7 February to eight and a half years imprisonment and order to sign the sexual offender’s register indefinitely.

Officer in charge of the case DC Ashlee Wait said, “I am very happy to see Lee Kneller face justice for his crimes and would like to thank the public for their assistance in helping us get him off of the streets as swiftly as possible.

“Kneller’s crimes against a woman who was simply doing her job are horrendous, and I am glad to see him put behind bars. No one should feel unsafe in their place of work and I commend the victim highly for coming forward and helping us prevent Kneller from attacking anyone else.

Description

A man sexually assaulted two teenage girls outside a court where he was on trial for drug dealing.

Darnell McCollins, 24, approached the pair near Stafford Crown Court on June 3 last year.

The 24 year old began asking them questions and touched both of them.

McCollins, of Eaton in London, made repeated advances before both of the girls walked away and told someone what had happened.

Police arrested him the following day and he denied committing the offences during questioning.

McCollins was taken to court and pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a female at an earlier hearing.

He was sentenced to 23-weeks imprisonment at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on March 11.

This will run consecutively to a three-and-a-half-year sentence he is serving for conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

He was put on the Sex Offender’s Register for seven years, given a restraining order against the victims and ordered to pay £604 in costs.

DI Emma Roach, from the child protection team at Staffordshire Police, said: "I'm pleased that we were able to gather the evidence needed to convict McCollins of his crimes and to support the survivors as much as possible.

"We're determined to deliver justice for victims of sexual crimes in Staffordshire and to act robustly against those responsible."

A spokesperson for the force added: "A man who sexually assaulted two girls outside of court while on trial for another matter has been jailed after we launched an investigation.

"Darnell McCollins, 24, of Eaton, London, was due to appear at Stafford Crown Court on 3 June last year when he approached two teenage girls and started asking them questions.

"He asked them for their details and touched both of them. He made repeated advances before both of the girls walked away and told someone what had happened.

"We started investigating and arrested McColins the day after. He was questioned in custody but denied the offences.

"Officers from our child protection team (CPT) worked extremely hard to support the survivors as much as possible and to gather all of the evidence needed to charge McCollins for his crimes.

"McCollins was taken to court and pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a female at an earlier hearing.

"He was sentenced to 23-weeks imprisonment at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 11 March, which will run consecutively to a separate sentence he is serving.

"He was put on the Sex Offender’s Register for seven years, given a restraining order against the victims and ordered to pay £604 in costs."