Latest Offenders

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A twisted paedophile lured one of his victims to a fake party at a high-rise flat and then raped her.

Peter Robinson targeted another girl after tricking her into his car and driving her to a secluded spot where he only broke off his attacks so he could have a cigarette.

He helped to cover up his horrific crimes by telling his vulnerable schoolgirl victims that, should they speak out, he would get social services to make their lives a misery.

Robinson appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced for one count of indecent assault, eight counts of rape and three counts of the rape of a child under the age of 13.

The 56-year-old, a dad himself, had been convicted of the offences following a trial that concluded earlier this week.

Today, prosecutor Charlotte Kenny outlined how Robinson exploited vulnerable young girls during a sustained period of offending.

As well as raping his victims he also played on their fears and insecurity, securing their silence with threats, humiliating them and preying on their anxiety with degrading comments.

He told one of the girls that "nobody liked her" in what Ms Kenny suggested was a bid to socially isolate her.

The barrister read out powerful impact statements on behalf of each of his victims, now adults, who described suffering flashbacks and nightmares as a result of his crimes.

On behalf of one of the women, Ms Kenny said: "Sometimes the flashbacks are so horrendous she is physically sick... Peter Robinson will never realise just how much what he did has impacted on my whole life. I feel lost and scared due to what he put me through."

Another explained: "In the end, Peter Robinson left me feeling like a piece of meat. I felt powerless and angry."

His other victim detailed in her statement: "The horrible memories will never leave me."

Anthony O'Donohoe, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and that his family is "devastated" by the convictions.

He added: "He is aware that the inevitable custodial sentence will be a long one."

Judge Denis Watson, QC, described how Robinson deceived his victims on multiple occasions and, of his claims he would involve social services in their lives should they speak out, he said: "This was a calculated, cruel and very effective threat."

Judge Watson added that the offences "leave me in no doubt there is severe psychological harm here... they all experienced long term psychological harm as a result of the offending".

Robinson, of Dunnerdale Road in Norris Green, was sentenced to a total of 23 years in jail. He will have to serve half of that sentence before he can apply for release.

His convictions for the rape of a child under the age of 13 mean that, legally, he is considered an offender of special concern.

As a result, when he is released from jail he will serve an extended period on licence made up of whatever remains of the 23 year sentence plus an extra 12 months.

Robinson was all made the subject of indefinite restraining orders against each of his victims and of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

After delivering his sentence Judge Watson thanked those in the public gallery for the dignity they had displayed during the hearing.

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Police have praised the brave victims who brought a sexual predator to justice.

Kieran Kindley has been convicted of preying on four girls aged between 13 and 17, after carrying out the attacks in the Ashington area last year.

The 20-year-old denied all the allegations put to him but on Friday (September 24) was found guilty of two counts of rape and six counts of sexual assault following a 10-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Speaking after the trial, Detective Constables Dan Anderson and Emma Hooker, who led the investigation, praised the bravery of the victims.

Det Cons Anderson said : “Kieran Kindley is a sexual predator and paedophile, who preyed on teenagers for his own sexual gratification.

“These brave victims came forward to police and I hope they feel a sense of justice.

“I would urge anyone who has been subjected to such attacks to always report it. We are here to help."

Kindley of Lynn Street, Blyth, has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court in December.

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A Northampton man who was found guilty of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl has been jailed for 17-and-a-half years.

Andrew Brian Nicholls, 46, was last month found guilty of 14 charges at Northampton Crown Court relating to the abuse he carried out between 2014 and 2017, which began when his victim was just 11.

The court heard Nicholls began abusing the girl when she walked in on him watching pornography.

This escalated into repeated rapes until she informed Northamptonshire Police of the abuse in 2017.

Nicholls, formerly of Camp Hill, Bugbrooke, was subsequently charged with offences including multiple rapes, sexual activity with a child, and taking indecent photos of a child.

On October 4, a jury at Northampton Crown Court returned guilty verdicts on all 14 charges against him.

Today, Tuesday, November 2, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo handed Nicholls 13 concurrent sentences ranging from three to 14-and-a-half years, plus one consecutive sentence of three years, making a total of 17-and-a-half years in prison.

Telling the defendant to look at him as he passed sentence, Judge Mayo said Nicholls had robbed his victim of a happy and innocent childhood and forced her to live in fear of him revealing videos he had made of his repeated attacks.

The judge added that even when his victim became withdrawn as a result of her ongoing ordeal, Nicholls knew he was the cause 'yet you continued to use her to satisfy your own paedophilic urges' and had also encouraged others to turn on her when she finally reported what had happened to police.

He concluded: “This was sustained abuse of a particularly vulnerable victim.”

Upon release from prison, Nicholls will spend the remainder of his sentence on licence.

He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, indefinitely barring him from living or staying with any female child under the age of 16 without the approval of social services and the child’s parent or guardian having knowledge of his convictions.

He will also be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A man has been jailed for 15 years for raping a 71-year-old woman more than 40 years ago.

Kenneth Wells, 63, of Verona Road, Salisbury, broke into Violet Brown's house, raped her and locked her inside in November 1980.

The case was solved after officers re-tested evidence using DNA technology.

The judge told Wells, who was arrested and released at the time of the offence, he had subjected Ms Brown to "the most terrifying circumstances".

Wells previously also admitted burglary and false imprisonment at Salisbury Crown Court on 1 September.

Ms Brown lived alone in Collingbourne Ducis, in Wiltshire, and because Wells locked her in, had to wait until morning before she was able to alert her neighbours and the police.

Wells was arrested shortly afterwards and remained the prime suspect, but there was never enough evidence to charge him until June this year.

'Utterly traumatised'

Wells broke into the house with at least one other man while Ms Brown was sleeping.

The men, wearing stocking masks, shone torches in her face and yelled abuse at her during the attack.

Sentencing Wells at Winchester Crown Court, Judge Angela Morris told him: "It doesn't bear imagination how terrified she [Ms Brown] must have been.

"This is a case of some of the most abject humiliation, threats and violation towards a vulnerable and helpless elderly lady who was left utterly traumatised and physically injured by this appalling experience at your hands.

"Not only did you rob her of her possessions, you also robbed of her everything she held dear, including her independence."

Wiltshire Police reopened the cold case last year and using the latest in DNA technology, were able to confirm a direct match between the hair and fibre samples recovered from the original scene and Wells.

Accomplice still sought

Det Ch Insp Darren Hannant said: "There is no doubt that this horrendous attack had a lasting impact on Ms Brown, who had to live with the memory of this traumatic incident for the rest of her life.

"Wells committed a truly despicable crime and probably thought he had got away with it.

"But no unsolved serious case is ever completely closed. I am proud that we have finally been able to convict Wells and see him pay the price for what he did."

Detectives said the sentencing should come as a warning to Wells' accomplice who watched him rape Ms Brown, as they hope that DNA will eventually reveal his identity too.

Rape victims have the right to anonymity for life, but because Ms Brown died in 1996, she has been named and her family have released a photograph of her.

Wells was sentenced to 15 years in prison and an additional six years on licence for the rape.

He was also sentenced to three years for burglary and three years for false imprisonment, to run concurrently.

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A top judge refused to give details of a serial sex offender’s vile abuse of two young girls as it was ‘clear’ he would get ‘sexual excitement’ recounting his shocking crimes.

A court heard how Lester Bell, 70 from Reading, would likely serve the rest of his life in jail after he was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years behind bars for the non-recent sexual abuse of the two survivors.

One of the girls was just six years old when Bell’s abuse started and his depraved actions included rape and sexual assault.

He filmed his abuse of the two girls and a jury was shown these images during a summer trial, at the end of which he was found guilty of 17 offences.

In his sentencing at Reading Crown Court, the prosecution revealed few details about the extent of Bell’s abuse and His Honour Judge Paul Dugdale followed suit after defence counsel Nadia Shabat conceded her client would likely “serve the rest of his life in a custodial sentence.”

The judge said: “You are a man who has not been in trouble before. I take into account your age and you are not in good health.

“I watched you carefully during the trial. I watched you give evidence.

“At the start of the trial I took the view that I could deal with you because you would not be an ongoing risk but as I watched you during the trial my opinion changed completely.

“You spent the trial going into great detail about specific aspects of your offending you simply did not need to give in order to put across your case.

“You did not plead guilty and you made a jury see things no jury should have to see.

“I thought about why you were going into all this detail and why you intended for these videos to be shown.

“The reason is this: It is clear even now in the court room when you were being tried for these offences, you were getting sexual excitement from this evidence.

“That is why I am not going into detail about these offences because I am not going to give you the pleasure of going into this again.

“You are unable to accept the seriousness of these actions. To accept the devastation you have caused these two young girls. And even now you get sexual excitement from the memory of what you did.

“You took away their childhoods. You left them irreparably scarred going into the rest of their lives. You gave them memories of things that will haunt them on a daily basis.

“You did that for a pathetic moment of sexual excitement for yourself.

“It is clear to me that whatever goes on in your mind that made you behave in that way is still very active.”

Labelling him as an “ongoing risk”, Judge Dugdale handed Bell a 30-year prison sentence, of which he will serve a minimum of 16 years before he is eligible for release.

The sentence was based on a conviction for five counts of assault of a child aged under 13 by penetration, two counts of rape of a child under 13, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of attempted rape, two counts of causing or inciting a child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of making category A indecent images of children, one count of making category B indecent images of children, and one count of making category C indecent images of children.

He will remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life and an order was made for his devices and the images he created to be destroyed.

Bell appeared for his sentencing at Reading Crown Court on Friday, October 1 via video link from HMP Bullingdon.

After he was sent down, Judge Dugdale addressed the girls who survived Bell’s abuse in the public gallery.

He told them: “It is a big thing to come and give evidence [at a trial]. What you did was extremely brave.

“There is no reason he should stop you from living your life. That is the only way forward. You put it behind you.”

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Convicted rapist William Rathbone has been jailed for six years and five months after he sexually assaulted a woman.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the 22-year-old committed the offence eight months after being released from a prison sentence for rape.

The victim reported the incident to the police the following day. She was disgusted by Rathbone's actions and felt the assault turned her life upside down.

It happened in 2019, eight months after Rathbone was released from a 40-month sentence he received in 2017 for rape of a girl under 16 and assault by penetration.

Prosecutor Tim Harrington said: "This offence is seriously aggravated by his previous convictions and the fact he was on licence for sexual activity at the time and had not long been released from custody."

Rathbone, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration.

Saleema Mahmood, mitigating, said Rathbone's mental health has now stabilised and he has completed a sex offender programme in custody.

She said the offence was very different from his previous conviction.

Miss Mahmood said: "He now does not rely solely on his explanation that he was very heavily intoxicated and acknowledges what he did was very, very wrong."

She said the defendant has been in custody since his arrest.

Miss Mahmood added: "Without the use of a significant amount of alcohol Mr Rathbone would not even have conceived behaving in that way.

"He is keen to do anything he can to start a new life and make himself a better person."

Judge David Fletcher said: "You have indicated some remorse. Your age is of relevance, you were at the time of the offence 19. I do not find you pass the test for dangerousness and will not be making an extended sentence. Prison will detain you for a significant period of time before you are eligible for release."

Rathbone will be released on licence after serving half the term. He is on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting two women at a party.

The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday 23 August last year, when 54-year-old Bryan Searle attended the get together at an address in the Portsmouth area.

Searle, who was drunk at the time, got into a hot tub at the party and sexually assaulted two women.

The incident was reported to police later that morning and Searle was arrested the same day.

Following an investigation, he was charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration.

He admitted all three offences when he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on 17 September this year.

Appearing at the same court today (Friday 1 October), he was jailed for 25 and a half months.

DC Hannah Mosely said: “No one has the right to abuse another person, and as a police service we take all allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously.

“This kind of behaviour is simply not acceptable and there is no excuse for perpetrating it.

“Searle knew this, but chose to carry out these assaults anyway. I hope the outcome of this case sends a message to those who think they can get away with behaving in this manner that there is no place for it in society, and we will take action.”

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A MARLOES pensioner, until recently a volunteer instructor for junior sailing, has admitted making indecent photographs of children.

Derek Lister, 72, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday (Sept 30), and entered a guilty plea to creating 3 indecent category A images of a child, 14 indecent category B images of a child and 152 indecent category C images of a child.

Former teacher Lister had originally indicated that he would plead not guilty but changed his plea faced with the weight of the evidence against him.

He was given a 4-month jail sentence, suspended for two years and 150 hours community service.

The suspended sentence means that if he commits any offence within the next two years the suspended sentence will be activated, and he will be automatically sent to jail.

It is understood that he has now moved away from Pembrokeshire.

The sentencing had been delayed from a previous date as the video link system in court had been faulty.

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A Coventry man has been jailed after he sexually assaulted a woman last year.

Saad Sheikh, 30, of The Spinney, Coventry, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assaulting a stranger. The incident took place on the evening of August 1, 2020, near Jephson Gardens, in Leamington.

The victim, a woman in her 40s, was sitting on a bench when Sheikh sat down next to her and sexually assaulted her by touching her over and under her clothing.

Sheikh was identified on CCTV and was arrested five days later.

He was sentenced to 30 months in prison at a hearing held at Warwick Crown Court yesterday (September 29). He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which stops him from engaging in paid or unpaid work with vulnerable people.

Detective Constable Nic Mort, from Leamington CID, said: This was a terrible ordeal for the victim, who is an extremely vulnerable woman. The judge was clear that Sheikh would have been aware of her vulnerabilities and targeted her because of this.

The ordeal left her distraught and traumatised.

I would like to recognise the bravery of the victim who has conducted herself with bravery and dignity throughout the investigation.

As well as receiving a custodial sentence, Sheikh will also have to sign the sex offender register and be subject to sexual harm prevention order which means he will be closely monitored when he is released from prison.

Incidents of this nature inevitably have an impact on the local community, so I hope the police response and this outcome will reassure the people of Leamington that we will work tirelessly to bring offenders like Sheikh to justice.

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A judge today told a paedophile he had no doubt a jury was right to convict him of sexually abusing a young boy.

Ryan Kitchen, 26, repeatedly molested his vulnerable victim by sexually assaulting him on 20 separate occasions.

Kitchen, of Strafford Drive, Bootle, denied any wrongdoing and claimed the child was lying in a trial last month.

But after jurors heard evidence from both him and the boy, they unanimously found Kitchen guilty of six counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child, while acquitting him of one further count of sexual assault.

Judge Garrett Byrne today told Kitchen: "You continue to deny the offences and seek to blame others for the situation you find yourself in.

"Having seen the evidence of the boy during the trial, I have no doubt the jury's verdicts were correct."

He jailed Kitchen for eight years, prompting one of Kitchen's supporters sitting in a public gallery to question: "Seriously?"

The woman then moaned: "F***ing lies. Send an innocent man to jail, all for lies."

Liverpool Crown Court heard Kitchen repeatedly performed sex acts on the boy, both over and under his clothing, tried to get the boy to touch his penis, and performed sex acts in front of the child.

Seven supporters of the victim, including his mum, sat in one public gallery, with 10 supporters of the defendant sitting in another public gallery.

The boy's mum told the court that when her son confided in her about Kitchen's sexual abuse "my whole body went cold with shock".

David Polglase, prosecuting, read out her statement in which she described how she holds "a lot of anger and resentment" towards Kitchen.

She said: "I hope in the future I will be able to channel this more productively, but at the moment it cripples me."

The mum said the ordeal of giving evidence impacted on her son and before the verdicts were returned he kept repeating that if they were not guilty, "it meant people thought he was lying".

She said her son had spent days crying in his room, his mental health was affected and along with thoughts of suicide, she had found him threatening to kill himself.

The mum said: "I'm in constant fear that he will actually follow through with his threats."

The boy's father told the court in a second victim statement that he also felt suicidal about what had happened to his son.

He said: "I hope that Ryan Kitchen realises he's destroyed my son's life. He's totally obliterated his trust in people."

The victim's mum cried as the statements were read and was comforted by members of her family.

Nick Cockrell, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and nearly 30 character references submitted to the court, which "paint a very positive picture of Mr Kitchen".

He said: "That of course has to be set against the offences for which he has been convicted by the jury, but in total it seems there were almost 30 people who had taken the time to write letters or emails of support for Mr Kitchen."

Mr Cockrell said there was also a pre-sentence report from the Probation Service, but added: "Where there have been convictions after trial, convictions which it's clear from the report are still denied and disputed by Mr Kitchen, it does make such a document difficult in the circumstances.

"Your honour has no option but to sentence Mr Kitchen to a lengthy custodial sentence and it will be hoped that some of the concerns that are raised in that report can be addressed as part of that sentence."

Mr Cockrell added that Kitchen was still relatively young and it would be his first prison sentence, and asked the judge to take into account conditions in jail during the coronavirus pandemic.

Judge Byrne said the jury had found Kitchen guilty of eight counts of sexual abuse against the victim, "representing a total of 20 separate occasions when you sexually abused the boy".

The judge told Kitchen he took advantage of a situation "by sexually assaulting the boy for your own pleasure".

The judge said Kitchen had "deliberately and cynically" abused a situation to molest his victim.

He said the offences had a detrimental impact on the "vulnerable" child's mental health.

Judge Byrne said: "During the course of his evidence, he said this, he would ask himself 'why, why is he doing this?'

"It would make him feel angry and sick. He said 'I thought it would never end'."

The judge said weighing in Kitchen's favour was his previous good character.

He said: "I've read all the references. Very many people have spoken very highly of you, describing your positive influence, that you're a good friend, that you're a caring person and you're a hard worker.

"I've also read the moving letter from your parents and I will of course take into account the impact the sentence is going to have upon them and your family."

Kitchen showed no emotion when he was jailed, which prompted the outburst from a female supporter.

A male supporter started sobbing and was consoled by others, before the woman continued to swear and complain as she walked out of the courtroom.

Kitchen must comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Judge Byrne also made a 10-year restraining order, preventing Kitchen from contacting the boy or his parents.

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A "cruel" and "manipulative" former policeman who "systematically" raped two girls and a woman during a "campaign of rape" has been jailed for 33 years.

A "complicit" woman who joined in with him during his "domineering" sexual abuse has been jailed for eight years.

The repeated sexual exploitation of the traumatised victims left them with severe psychological problems and one girl wrote in her diary that she suffered "disgusting, painful, sickening memories".

Former Royal Hong Kong Police officer Ken Chik, 63, of Endymion Street, Hull, was convicted of 28 offences after a trial spanning four weeks at Hull Crown Court.

The offences included rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, sexual activity with a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and cruelty.

Tracy Choi, 37, from the Hull area, was convicted of six offences, including rape and attempted rape.

Soheil Khan, prosecuting, said that it was a "campaign of rape" by Chik and the offences were "frequently planned" by him and involved the "deliberate isolation of the victims".

Chik had caused "emotional degradation and humiliation" and sometimes used physical violence.

"The complainants were told by him not to report the offences," said Mr Khan.

The two girls were caused "severe psychological harm".

Judge Mark Bury said that Chik "systematically" raped one of the girls and caused "humiliation" to her.

"It involved significant manipulation, psychological coercion and the instilment of fear in her," said Judge Bury.

"You repeatedly engineered situations to abuse her."

Choi was involved in some of the sexual offences.

Judge Bury told Chik: "It's clear to me that you are a cruel, domineering, angry, totally selfish man."

Chik was "prone to violent mood swings" and "exploited" the vulnerability of the adult victim "cynically" for sex.

He said of her: "She was psychologically coerced to a high degree. You cynically manipulated a young woman.

"Your offending is characterised by extreme levels of manipulation and humiliation.

"You went to considerable lengths to ensure you were not caught."

Chik told the victims that nobody would believe them if they told anyone what had happened.

One of the girls had written in her diary: "Why didn't I kill myself to end this suffering?"

She wanted to know when her ordeal would end and Judge Bury said: "Today. This is the first day of the rest of their lives."

The victims had given "utterly compelling" evidence to the trial.

Judge Bury told Choi: "You were manipulated. I am satisfied that you became involved in these offences through psychological coercion and bullying."

But the "significant sympathy" for her "evaporates" because she was "complicit" in rape and "encouraged" Chik and participated in what happened.

One of the girls said in a statement: "Physically and psychologically, I felt disgusting, dirty and ashamed.

"He was manipulative and controlling. Ken was addicted to power over vulnerable women and children."

She had suffered "traumatising flashbacks weekly" and sometimes "woke up in a sweat".

The girl added: "I am scarred externally and internally from his actions."

The other girl said: "This kind of trauma isn't easy to forget. It's ingrained into my mind. There are many ways that Ken has affected me."

The adult victim said that she had lived with fear and struggled with depression.

She had suffered "nightmares about falling from a very dark and high-up place" and did not feel safe.

She felt "worthless", ashamed of herself, "dirty and unclean" through being raped.

Stephen Robinson, mitigating, said it was a "campaign of rape" by Chik and there was "little that can be said" for him. He denied all the offences.

Chik suffered from health problems, including heart trouble.

Julia Baggs, representing Choi, said that the defendant came to Britain from Hong Kong for education when she was 18 but was "here illegally" and might face deportation.

She had suffered "nightmares about falling from a very dark and high-up place" and did not feel safe.

She felt "worthless", ashamed of herself, "dirty and unclean" through being raped.

Stephen Robinson, mitigating, said it was a "campaign of rape" by Chik and there was "little that can be said" for him. He denied all the offences.

Chik suffered from health problems, including heart trouble.

Julia Baggs, representing Choi, said that the defendant came to Britain from Hong Kong for education when she was 18 but was "here illegally" and might face deportation.

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Police in Hampshire have launched an appeal to locate a man in connection with a sexual assault.

Hampshire Constabulary say they are looking for 27-year-old Zackery Bell after a sexual assault in Waterlooville.

The incident in question happened on December 6 of last year.

After extensive enquiries to try to locate him, the public are now being asked for their help.

He has links to Sussex and it is believed that he could be in Warwickshire.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: "We are trying to locate wanted man Zackery Bell. Can you help or do you know his whereabouts?

"If you have seen him, or know where he is, do not approach him but contact us on 101, quoting 44200471788.

"We would also like to remind people that anyone found to be harbouring him to obstruct our attempts to locate him may be committing an offence and be liable for arrest themselves."

As well as 101, people can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Met Police officer Wayne Couzens has been sentenced to a whole-life term for the murder of Sarah Everard, in a case that sparked national outrage and calls for more action to tackle violence against women.

Couzens admitted the kidnap, rape and murder of the 33-year-old marketing executive when he appeared in court several months ago.

But it was only during his sentencing that the full details of his crimes emerged.

Ms Everard was walking home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, at about 21:30 BST on 3 March when she was abducted.

Couzens' choice of victim was random, but the attack was planned.

In his sentencing remarks, Lord Justice Fulford said there had been "significant planning and premeditation" by Couzens.

The police officer had "long planned to carry out a violent sexual assault on a yet-to-be-selected victim" who he intended to coerce into his custody, noted the judge.

Couzens spent at least a month travelling to London from Deal, Kent, where he lived, to research how best to carry out his crimes.

Several days before the attack, he booked a hire car, which he would use for the abduction, as well as a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon.

After finishing a 12-hour shift at the US embassy that morning, Couzens, a parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer, went out "hunting" for a lone, young woman to kidnap and rape, the prosecution said.

The court heard how Couzens used the knowledge he had gained from working on Covid patrols in January and his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card to trick his victim under the guise of a fake arrest for breaching coronavirus guidelines.

The 48-year-old, who had been a police officer since 2002, handcuffed her before bundling her into the car and driving away.

The abduction was witnessed by a couple travelling past in a car - but they believed they had seen an undercover police officer carrying out a legitimate arrest, so did not intervene.

The whole kidnapping took less than five minutes.

Sarah Everard's last known movements

Couzens then drove to Dover in Kent, where he transferred Ms Everard to his own car, before travelling to a remote rural area nearby.

It was there that he raped and murdered his victim - strangling her with his police belt.

By 02:31 Couzens had left the scene and was spotted at a service station buying drinks.

He visited the site where Ms Everard's body was dumped twice, leaving just before dawn.

The next day, as the search for her escalated, Couzens bought petrol, which he used to burn her body inside a fridge.

He also purchased two green rubble bags, which he used to dump the remains in a pond near an area of woodland he owned in Hoads Wood, Ashford.

A week after she disappeared, Ms Everard's body was found in a woodland stream, just metres from land owned by Couzens.

Meanwhile, Couzens returned to normal life, carrying out mundane activities like calling a vet about his dog.

Days later, he even took his wife and two children on a family trip to the woods where he had burnt his victim's body.

However, on the 8 March, the day he was due to return to work, he reported in sick.

The following day he was arrested at his home in Deal.

In a brief police interview, he told a false story about being threatened by an Eastern European gang, claiming they had demanded he deliver "another girl" after he had underpaid a prostitute a few weeks before. He then claimed he kidnapped Ms Everard, drove out of London and handed her over to three men in a van in a layby in Kent, while she was alive and uninjured.

But after Ms Everard's body was discovered in a pond just 130 metres from land owned by Couzens, he was charged.

Couzens has since been sacked by the Met, but the force is still facing questions over whether chances were missed to prevent his predatory behaviour.

After Ms Everard's murder, the police watchdog announced it was probing alleged failures by the Met to investigate two indecent exposure incidents linked to Couzens in February.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is also investigating alleged failures by Kent Police to investigate a flashing incident linked to Couzens in 2015.

Couzens transferred to the Met in 2018, from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, where he had worked since 2011.

Two years later he began working for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command as an authorised firearms officer at diplomatic premises around central London.

In July, appearing by video link from Belmarsh high security jail, Couzens pleaded guilty to murder at the Old Bailey.

On Wednesday he appeared in court again - this time in person - for a two-day sentencing hearing.

There, he faced Ms Everard's mother, father and sister, who described to the court the torment of losing their loved one in such horrendous circumstances.

Her father, Jeremy, demanded that Couzens looked at him as he told the murderer he could never forgive him for taking away his daughter.

Her mother, Susan, said she was "tormented" at the thought of what her "precious little girl" had endured.

"I go through the sequence of events. I wonder when she realised she was in mortal danger," she told the court.

"Burning her body was the final insult. It meant we could never again see her sweet face and never say goodbye.

"Our lives will never be the same. We should be a family of five, but now we are four. Her death leaves a yawning chasm in our lives that cannot be filled."

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The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was assaulted by Havant man Daniel Cake, 42, after he went into the bedroom where she was asleep in the middle of the night before sexually assaulting her.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how intoxicated opportunist Cake, of Blendworth Crescent, was then kicked off the bed by the girl as her boyfriend woke up.

The court heard a hullabaloo then erupted in the house where there had been a party the previous evening resulting in Cake being punched in the face by a man before he was thrown out.

Police were called resulting in Cake, who was in a healthy relationship at the time, being arrested.

Despite feeling disappointed by the sentence after Cake walked away from court with his freedom, the teenager is determined to do good following her ordeal.

She said: I want everyone to know what he is really like and for me to help other girls who have had things happen to them.

The girls mum said she was proud of how her daughter had handled the nightmare situation but said she was shocked at the lenient sentence. I cannot believe he walked, she said. He just has to be a good boy now for a while and thats it. I wanted him to be sent to prison.

I cant believe he was not jailed. We feel let down by the justice system. What kind of a message does that send out?

My daughter doesnt want to be a victim over this and is helping others who have been through similar things. She has gone on to have success in what she is doing.

Speaking of the impact the incident had on the family, the mum said: It was horrific to have that call from my daughter telling me what happened. I never thought such a thing would happen to us.

It is disgusting what he did. She was sound asleep and defenceless. He said he didnt remember doing it but how can anyone not remember doing such a thing?

It was the biggest shock of her life. Hopefully what she went through will help others talk about experiences that have happened to them.

Judge Timothy Mousley QC described the act as appalling and shocking.

After his arrest, Cake told police he had consumed up to 12 beers, smoked cannabis and possibly taken cocaine.

He could not recall the incident whatsoever, prosecutor Charles Digby said.

The girl, in a statement read out to court, said she felt dirty after the incident, which involved her having to undergo a police medical examination.

She also revealed how her life had been turned upside down with her now paranoid in certain situations. Before I was very sociable and would go out on my own but now I have to have someone with me all the time, she said.

The teenager said she now worries when a man comes near me with the incident having a massive impact on her life.

She added: What did I ever do to him?

Jason Halsey, defending, called the incident shocking, humiliating and embarrassing before adding: It is inexplicable. He is a man of good character with no previous at 42 years.

There is no previous sexually deviant behaviour.

The barrister said Cake could easily be thrown in prison but he told the court the defendant was remorseful.

Cake was also described as a great father.

Judge Mousley added: People that know you say it was out of character. Why you committed the crime is a mystery.

Cake admitted a single count of sexual assault on a female aged 16 or over.

Despite the charge having a maximum sentence of 10 years jail, the judge concluded there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Cake was then given a sentence of 16 months jail suspended for two years.

He was also told to complete 35 rehabilitation days and was handed a 10-year restraining order and sexual harm prevention order. He must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for the same period.

Description

One of Stoke-on-Trent's worst repeat sexual predators has been locked up after sending sick pictures to '13-year-old Ruby'.

Autistic Michael Horn has spent the last nine years of his life appearing in courts for breaking orders aimed at keeping children safe from his perverted ways.

And the 29-year-old's latest crime saw him having sexual chats with 'children' online.

Now Horn - who has over 20 previous convictions for various sexual offences - has been handed a nine-year extended sentence which is made up of four years in custody with five years on licence.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Horn was released from prison on licence in October last year, and was granted permission to have an internet-enabled mobile phone on June 8 this year.

Just days later he breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by chatting to underage girls as far away as America on apps.

He would frequently lie about his age, often saying he was only 14 or 18.

But he was caught out after striking up a conversation with a '13-year-old Ruby' who turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer.

Another incident saw Horn contact a '16-year-old American girl' on teen dating app MyLOL.

He asked her if she would 'like to see his penis' and requested naked pictures, as well as asking if she would like to meet up for sex.

Prosecutor Tariq Bin Shakoor said: The SHPO was put in place in September 2012 for 10 years and made following his convictions for a variety of sexual offences.

The defendant was released in October 2020. He was given permission to use a mobile phone.

On June 21 this year officers visited him to check he was complying with the SHPO.

He was asked if he needed to tell them anything. He was nervous.

The defendant, in a private room, then told the police he had breached the order."

Horn, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two charges of breaching his SHPO.

Hamish Noble, mitigating, said: He understands that its wrong. He is autistic and says it has held him back in life.

He understands that he needs to be punished and be rehabilitated for the future. He doesnt deny that he presents a risk.

The bottom line is he knows he needs help and he does not seek to lay the blame at anyones door.

He sees other peoples lives and can see how he would like to be.

Sentencing Horn, Judge David Fletcher told him: There is a continuation of a pattern of behaviour which is being exhibited by you.

Since the first conviction when you were 20 you have been made the subject of a SHPO.

Over the years that have followed you have found yourself in breach of it on several occasions. You are no stranger to the court system.

You find yourself now a young man who is completely divorced and separated from family members and has no friends.

I am satisfied that you do present a risk. It is necessary to propose an extended sentence to protect the public.

Horn was also made the subject of a new SHPO which will remain in place until the court says otherwise.