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Description

The mum of a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a Grimsby man has told of the devastating impact it had on her daughter.

The woman told how after being abused by Jamie Smith, her daughter was so traumatised she self-harmed and changed her appearance in fear of attracting men. She said her teenage years had been robbed as a result.

Smith, 35, formerly of Grimsby but who now lives in Whitehead in Northern Ireland, has been given a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years after admitting sexual assault of a child aged under 13.

Smith was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years after he pleaded guilty to the charge at Grimsby Crown Court, several years after the original crimes. With the case finally dealt with, the victim's mum told GrimsbyLive she feels as though a weight has been lifted from their shoulders.

She said: "When I found out what had happened I wanted to hurt him for what she told me he'd done. I was so frustrated and if it wasn't for her telling me to not do anything I don't know what I would've done.

"I saw a number of screenshots and messages that suggested something wasn't right and although I believed she was telling the truth from the start, this confirmed it to me. It was at that point that I flipped, but I knew I had to be there for her so I put my own thoughts and feelings to one side whilst I made sure she was okay."

She added: "All her friends and family have supported her through this, but it's not been easy." After the assault, the victim started self-harming and trying to look different.

When her mum asked her why she had changed her appearance and started "dressing differently", the victim told her it was so people would stop "trying it on with me" and to "stop it from happening again".

She added: "It was so difficult to hear her say those things, but you have to put your feelings aside and help them in any way you can." As much as she has been there for her daughter, the incident has meant her life hasn't been what it should have. This whole ordeal stole her teenage years from her and she's only just coming out the other side."

With Smith admitting his crime, the mum feels like it's made things a little bit easier. "It's a relief to know that he admitted what he did. I just hope nobody else gets tricked by him in the future.

"It has come as closure for myself and my daughter, we're trying to put this behind us and just get on with our lives now. Thankfully, she's got her life back, but you never think something like this would ever happen to your family.

"I've felt down myself throughout all of this, but what she's had to go through is just awful. She told me after everything, "he's not broken me, he's the broken one."

Description

A man has been jailed having pleaded guilty to sexual offences against children, including rape.

Colin Phillips, aged 56, from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, has been jailed for 10 years for the crimes.

Mr Phillips appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Thursday, February 9, where he was given a total custody sentence of 14 years (10 years custodial and four years licence).

Additionally, he was added to the sex offenders’ register and placed under a sexual harm prevention order.

Detective Sergeant Dan Osborne, of the Joint Child Protection Investigation Team, said: “A dangerous offender has been removed from the community and put behind bars for despicable behaviour towards children.

“I’d like to highlight the bravery of the victims and families who have supported the investigation to help bring Phillips to justice.”

Mr Phillips was arrested on Thursday, November 3, 2022, and charged with rape of a child under 13 and three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.

He was also charged with four counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

The offences took place between February 2022 and July 2022.

Description

A pervert who arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex was caught by online paedophile hunters who had been posing as the teenager.

Adam Gruter turned up at the KFC in Darlington in the hope of meeting the teenager but was confronted by members of the Child Online Safety Team who filmed the confrontation face-off.

Teesside Crown Court heard how a woman posing as the teenager had spent several days speaking with the defendant online before the conversation turned sexual and he sent her an indecent picture of himself.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the defendant had sent a number of messages on WhatsApp after befriending the decoy on Facebook.

She told the court how Gruter quizzed his potential victim about her virginity and bra size while asking her to send images of herself between October 9 and 20 last year.

The adult decoy told the defendant on several occasion that she was 14 and was living in the Newton Aycliffe area but that did not deter his behaviour, Miss Atkinson added.

She said: “They agreed to meet at KFC on Yarm Road, Darlington, after telling her he had booked a room at Bannatyne’s Hotel.”

After he was confronted by the paedophile hunters the police were called and he was arrested, the court heard.

The 43-year-old, of Elm Park Gardens, London, pleaded guilty to inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following grooming.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said his client had not been in the area specifically to just meet the ‘teenage girl’ as he was working for a wine company making deliveries all over the country.

Addressing the judge, he added: “He acknowledges that you will be minded to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

“This is unseaming and troubling behaviour which he has engage in.”

Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Gruter to 20 months in custody for both offences after acknowledging that the intended victim was not actually a 14-year-old girl.

He added: “During the exchanges... you demonstrated your intention to carry out this through to a sexual meeting by booking a hotel room.”

Gruter was also made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.

Description

A pizza delivery driver plied three teenage girls with alcohol and drugs before sexually assaulting and raping one of them in his car. Wahid Bik, who drove around Solihull and Shirley, groomed his victims who were left with emotional scars.

The-43-year-old committed the offences over a month-long period between December 2021 and January last year. He spotted his first victim, a 13-year-old girl, in November 2021 as she was walking home alone. In passing sentence Judge Andrew Smith KC said: "You pulled up in your car and engaged her in conversation and I am sure that you offered her both alcohol and cannabis during that first meeting."

He said it was the beginning of gaining her trust. He said: "You chose girls who were at a vulnerable stage in their teenage lives."

Bik also got the phone numbers of the girls and started to message them. He added: "You sought to make yourself an essential component of their lives by offering them vapes, alcohol and cannabis."

Bik would also pay them compliments telling one she looked like a "supermodel" and another that she was a "pretty lady." The judge said: "You groomed the girls who you ultimately committed serious sexual offences against."

In December the defendant offered to meet and collect two 14-year-old girls. He plied them both with alcohol until they were both severely affected and took them to a secluded location where he climbed into the back seat and carried out a sex attack on one of them.

Just over a week later Bik took two other girls aged 14 and 13 to a secluded location and, after also plying them with drink, began by touching one of them on the leg during the journey. He then kissed her before going on to carry out a more serious sexual attack on both of them, twice raping the other girl.

At one point one of the victims tried to use her phone to get help but Bik took it from her. Eventually one of them did manage to message a friend which lead to the defendant later being arrested with both girls still in his vehicle.

Bik of Walsgrave Drive, Solihull, who had previously been found guilty, following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court of two charges of rape, two of attempted rape, three of sexual assault and two other serious sexual offences, was jailed for 22 years.

Judge Smith said what Bik had done had had a "profound" effect on the victims and their families and added: "It has made them feel unsafe and left them with emotional scars that will be difficult, at the very least, to heal."

He told Bik: "You have shown absolutely no remorse for your criminal acts.

"Your offending was both sustained and involved significant planning. You took the risk of committing the offences on the night of January 30 and 31 having committed serious offences just a few weeks earlier.

"This demonstrates a pattern of behaviour." He said it was only as a result of chance that he was stopped.

Antonie Muller, prosecuting, said: "He used alcohol and other intoxicants. It is an aggravating feature that there were other people in the car and he himself was intoxicated."

Abigail Nixon, defending, said: "He is effectively of good character who came to this country and became educated and got a university degree and had good employment."

Description

A serial sex offender dubbed the 'Night Bus Beast' who continued to walk the streets following multiple police failings could soon be released from prison following an upcoming parole hearing.

Terrorising women as part of campaign of terror, Kirk Reid, now 58, was convicted of 26 indecent assaults and two rapes in 2009.

Targeting lone female passengers over a 23-year period in London, Reid's conviction exposed a series of failings by the Metropolitan Police.

Likened to the case of 'Black Cab Rapist' John Worboys in terms of the prolific nature of his offending, police failings saw him remain at large despite multiple arrest opportunities.

Now, the serial offender, who was given a life term and ordered to serve a minimum of seven-and-a-half years behind bars, has been transferred to an open prison following an earlier parole hearing.

It's a move that often precedes an offender being released on license.

The lowest category jail, open prisons allow for minimal security measures and the opportunity for visitors to work outside of the prison's walls.

According to the Daily Mail, Reid's new parole hearing is scheduled to take place in May 2023.

At the time of his conviction, Reid was described as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character by Judge Shani Barnes who was overseeing the case at Kingston Crown Court.

Despite being convicted of the 28 counts, the total number of victims is believed to be closer to 100.

It was revealed that Reid, who was a chef at the time, was identified as a suspect following a series of sex attacks in 2004, a name that was flagged to police at least 12 times without any further enquiries being launched.

Following the conviction, assistant Met commissioner John Yates conceded that multiple errors had been made in the handling of the case.

'Nothing can adequately excuse the failure to follow up straightforward lines of inquiry that should have seen Reid arrested at that time,' Yates wrote retrospectively in the Guardian in March 2009.

It was revealed that Reid, who was a chef at the time, was identified as a suspect following a series of sex attacks in 2004, a name flagged to police at least 12 times without further enquiries being launched.

Reid, also an amateur referee of women's football matches, targeting women walking alone or travelling on public transport.

He was only by change that Reid was brought to justice in January 2008 when the case was handed to a senior detective from the homicide and serious crime command unit who linked him using DNA.

Description

A man previously jailed for voyeurism in public toilets has been sent to prison again for breaching a court order to watch indecent videos online.

Christopher Rufford, aged 41, of Semilong, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday, February 9 after pleading guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) three times.

David Lee, prosecuting, told the court that Rufford failed to notify police about an additional device he had in addition to an online Snapchat account, which he used every day in July 2022 when he was in Northampton and Staffordshire.
  
Christopher Rufford, aged 41, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday, February 9 2023

The court heard that Rufford’s Amazon Fire tablet was found to have deleted internet history.

Mr Lee told the court that Rufford was also found to be searching for explicit videos involving defecation on December 14 2022, which he said reminded him of his previous offences of voyeurism in public women’s toilets.
Rufford was arrested on December 22.  He denied any knowledge of a Snapchat account and told police that his Amazon Fire must have automatically deleted his history for him but apologised for breaching the order.

The defendant has multiple prison sentences for voyeurism and subsequent breaches of SHPOs.

Emily Culverhouse, in mitigation, said: “He accepts that he should have changed his history and deletion settings. He was living in a house with multiple occupants at the time of his arrest and does not understand how these things were accessed but does accept that they were found in his possession.”

The defence barrister said Rufford was, at the time of offending, considered a “medium risk” to the public, which he had “worked hard” towards and he has elderly parents, who he is keen to spend time with.

His Honour Judge Mooncey told the defendant: “You are no stranger to this court and this kind of offending. You have a horrendous history with some persistent breaches and your sentences have increased as time has gone on.” He added: “You are using technology for your own dirty disgusting urges.”

Rufford sobbed and wept on the video-link as he was sentenced to 27 months in prison. The existing SHPO was kept in place until 2028.

Description

A convicted sex offender left a woman he befriended online 'petrified' by threatening to go to her house and kill her after she found out about his disturbing past.

Jordan Rutherford was locked up for two years in October 2021 for engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, threatening to kill her and possessing knives. He was released from that sentence in January last year and failed to engage properly with the probation service and sabotaged their extensive efforts to get accommodation.

He told his probation officer he was experiencing an "urge to reoffend and push boundaries because of the thrill it gave him". Having struck up an online conversation with a woman from Ashington in March, he went on to tell her he had been in prison but gave an account which minimised his offending.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that despite him not revealing the truth about what he had done, the woman, who had planned to meet him, was nonetheless shocked and said she needed to get back to work and hung up.

Rutherford then texted her telling her to ignore what he was about to send her on WhatsApp - which was a message saying "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to come to your house and I will put your door through. I will come in and I really want to hurt you. I love you but I need to end you."

Liam O'Brien, prosecuting, said: "Notwithstanding the text message, this scared her. Her concern increased an hour later when she was contacted by his probation officer, who explained the true extent of his sexual offending and the fact he had a history of carrying knives."

The woman woke the following morning to find more threatening messages from Rutherford, threatening to go to her home and kill her. He the expressed frustration that she had blocked him and continued to send threatening messages.

Mr O'Brien said: "He said he would wait for her to finish work and follow her into her home, lock the door and kill her. He warned her 'you won't be able to escape and before you know it you will be dead'.

"It's clear he would have been aware he was scaring her and she wanted him to stop but he didn't. She was petrified and believed he was going to hurt her.

"He sent a screenshot of his location showing he was nearby. She knew he was not from Ashington and had no reason to be there. She was also aware he wanted to be locked up."

The woman was so afraid she got her stepdad to meet her from work and called the police. Mr O'Brien said: "She was not the only person he told he was going to murder her. He repeatedly contacted the emergency services and disclosed his intention."

He rang the police four times and eventually met officers and was arrested. When his phone was examined he had researched sentencing guidelines for making threats to kill and had researched "disturbing things to say about killing people", which Mr O'Brien said was "presumably to make the threats as chilling as they could be".

Despite being recalled to prison, he tried to contact the woman, getting another prisoner to ask her to email him.

In a victim impact statement, she said: "When I first met him online I thought he was a normal boy but it's clear he is not. Since I started receiving threats to my life I've been absolutely petrified to leave the house.

"I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and feel I can't go anywhere by myself. I'm terrified in case he is around the corner.

"I don't know why he is behaving like this but I want it to stop. It's affecting my work and social life and I just want to be left alone."

The court heard that in the previous offences against the 14-year-old, he had also threatened to go to her house and kill her.

Rutherford, 21, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to stalking involving fear of violence and was jailed for three years and given a restraining order. Pre-sentence reports said he poses a high risk of harm.

Vic Laffey, defending, said: "His motivation was to get himself arrested and recalled. His head was in a strange place at the time.

"He caused this young lady, who didn't deserve it, significant distress but he didn't know where she lived or worked. He deeply regrets betraying this young woman's trust and making her feel unsafe.

"He promises the restraining order will not be breached. He is disappointed at offending again on licence. He was overwhelmed and didn't cope with being released from prison. He acted selfishly in involving her but got to the point he thought it would be better in prison."

Description

A CONVICTED rapist has been found guilty of an attack on a second woman and now faces even longer behind bars.

David Gilks of Sayers Avenue, Malvern was convicted of a second rape by a jury just before Christmas and falls to be sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, February 17.

The 30-year-old sex offender carried out the rape against an adult woman in September 2019.

Gilks denied the offence but was convicted by the jury on December 23 last year. The case was then adjourned for sentence. He remains in custody until he is sentenced later this month. Time spent on remand is deducted from any custodial sentence imposed by the court.

He also has a previous conviction for rape from September 2014 which is taken as an aggravating feature by the courts. This attack was also against an adult woman. 

West Mercia Police has applied for a sexual harm prevention order which, for the first time, contains a positive requirement other than prohibitions.

Officers and civilian staff with an intimate knowledge of the case stressed that it would be for a judge sitting in the crown court to decide whether the draft order they had requested would be granted.

The positive requirement would require Gilks to inform West Mercia Police of information which they believe would better help them monitor his behaviour in the community upon release.

Although a sexual harm prevention order is a civil order, breaching it is a criminal offence and can bring sex offenders back before a court where they may face more draconian measures to monitor and control their behaviour or, potentially, a further custodial sentence.

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We are committed to protecting women and girls from sexual violence and harm using every tool at our disposal, especially civil orders."

She said West Mercia Police was committed to using new legislation to protect the public in South Worcestershire.

We have previously reported how police and crime commissioner John Campion has highlighted the impact of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) on society with a focus on educating, encouraging a societal change, engaging with the community and empowering women and girls.

VAWG has featured heavily in the headlines in the last year following the tragic death of Sarah Everard with the second anniversary of her murder next month.

Description

A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to eight and-a-half years in prison for a series of child sex offences. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Wayne Philip Phillipson appeared at Mold Crown Court today charged with 18 offences in relation to Operation Blue Breeze, a UK-wide CSE investigation. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Phillipson of Kent Road, Consett, used Snapchat and an app called Wink to befriend 12 to 14-year-old children across the country and incited them to send him indecent images. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

He was homeless and would travel across the country attempting to meet children, whom he had contacted online, in person before ultimately being arrested in Wrexham city centre on 9 June, 2022. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Upon arrest, his mobile phone was found to contain in excess of 100 indecent images and North Wales Police were able to evidence contact with 29 children across the UK. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

In today’s court proceedings, Phillipson was also sentenced for another child sex offence which took place in the Durham area. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Detective Constable Dan Pleass said: “Wayne Phillipson is a dangerous predator who used social media to target vulnerable children and gain their trust in order to exploit them to fulfil his own sexual desires. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

“This case highlights just how important it is for children and their parents to know exactly who they are speaking to online. For more information on keeping yourself and your children safe online I urge you to visit https://hwb.gov.wales/zones/keeping-safe-online/ ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

“Firstly, I would like to praise the victims and their families for having the courage and determination to come forward to give their accounts, which ultimately have resulted in a dangerous sexual predator being removed from our community. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

“I also want to pay tribute to those victims who didn’t feel ready to speak to police on record about what had happened but still provided vital evidence to help us with our enquiries. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

“Finally, on behalf of North Wales Police, I am extremely grateful for the support offered by multiple UK police forces during the course of this investigation who have shown that the police will leave no stone unturned when investigating those who seek to do harm to the most vulnerable members of our society. ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

“I would also ask anyone who has been contacted by Wayne Phillipson or his alias ‘Josh Lawton’ to contact police on 101 and discuss your concerns, which will be treated in full confidence. When you are ready to talk, we will be ready to listen.” ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Description

A vicar found with more than 20,000 indecent images of children on his computer has been convicted in court.

David Renshaw was found guilty of eight counts after a trial at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday, February 7th.

These included three counts of possessing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of possessing prohibited images of children, and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images depicting acts of intercourse with animals, specifically dogs and horses.

The 63-year-old, of Wallace Avenue, Worthing, was arrested in June 2019 after an illegal image was discovered on a file-sharing website in New Zealand.

Because the account was linked to Renshaw via his email address and IP address, officials notified the National Crime Agency, who notified Sussex Police.

After obtaining and executing a search warrant at his residence in August 2020, police seized a number of devices. There were a total of 22,504 illegal images discovered.

The RSPCA also seized several dogs, cats, and chickens that were severely malnourished.

Renshaw, the vicar of Holy Trinity and Christ Church in Worthing, was arrested and charged with the offences, which he vigorously denied.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges, which followed an intelligence-led investigation by the Sussex Police Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT).

Renshaw was found guilty on all eight counts by a jury at Hove Crown Court, where he was tried. He has been released on bail until his sentencing on March 13th.

“Throughout this investigation, Renshaw has sought to blame everyone but himself,” said the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant David Rose. He has refused to accept or accept responsibility for his actions, which I am sure would outrage the local parish he represented.

“Through painstaking and careful enquiries, we were able to show that the child abuse images were on his computer, saved under his username and found on a hard drive on his desk. The sheer number of images suggests that they were amassed over a long period of time.

“The search for his address was one of the most revolting tasks our officers have ever had to endure. Aside from malnourished living animals, there was a dead rotting kitten and a dead rotting rat on the floor, as well as used needles and other drug paraphernalia. The search was an extremely unpleasant scene.

“It was also a particularly harrowing experience for the officer who had to sift through and grade each image, something that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

“I am grateful to our partner agencies for their support, and to the Diocese of Chichester for their full co-operation throughout the investigation.

“All necessary safeguarding investigations were conducted, and no identifiable children were at risk in this case.”

Description

A sex offender who failed to attend court on the last day of his trial was today (Thursday) jailed for three years.

James Wray, 43, was convicted in his absence of two charges of sexual assault against a child by the jury at Lincoln Crown Court.

Wray, formerly of Quadring Road, Donington, was later remanded in to custody to await his sentence hearing.

He was unanimously convicted of the offences, which took place between 2015 and 2018, during a three day trial before Christmas.

Siward James-Moore, prosecuting, told the hearing Wray’s victim, who can not be named for legal reasons, had made an impact statement which was provided to the sentencing judge.

Karen Walton, mitigating, told the court Wray had been abusing alcohol and had never previously shown any deviant behaviour towards children.

Miss Walton said Wray simply “panicked” on the final day of his trial, and had now spent over two months in prison.

“He is on a wing and has a job but he wants the chance to work with probation,” Miss Walton added.

“In his own words ‘he would dedicate himself to it’ as he wants the help,” Miss Walton added.

Passing sentence Judge James House KC told Wray: “These offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Judge House said it was clear Wray’s victim had suffered “enormous pain and confusion.”

Wray was also sentenced to seven days imprisonment for the offence of failing to attend his trial which will run alongside his three year sentence.

Police said the charges were brought on June 10, 2021, following a thorough investigation by officers in the Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) unit.

The investigation was launched following an allegation by the victim who came forward in 2020.

Detective Inspector Lee Nixon from PVP, said: “The courage of the victim to come forward and report these crimes should not be underestimated, and I want to thank them for taking that brave step.

“This case demonstrates that we will take reports seriously regardless of when the abuse occurred. I am really pleased with the verdict, and while no court outcome can ever undo the suffering at the hands of the predator involved, I hope that the victim can now feel they have received justice.”

Description

He was sentenced to eight years in prison for each offence - which will run concurrently - and will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register

A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for a serious sexual attack which took place almost 40 years ago in Stevenage. Paul King, aged 63, from Brighton, appeared at St Albans Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, February 8) for sentencing having previously pleaded guilty to indecent assault and attempting another serious sexual assault following an incident in 1983.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison for each offence, which will run concurrently. He will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register.

The court heard how one late February night in 1983, a teenage boy was walking on a snow-covered path through Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage when he was approached by a man and sexually assaulted.

The victim reported the incident to police but no offender was located at the time, however a DNA profile of the man was recorded. A forensic review of the cold case led to a positive DNA profile match for King. He subsequently was arrested, charged and later pleaded guilty to the offences.

Detective Inspector Iain MacPherson, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “I’m pleased that King has finally been jailed for this awful attack.

“Officers conducting a review of this cold case, assisted by the advancement of DNA technologies, were able to find justice for the victim almost 40 years later. I hope historical offenders hearing about this case sleep a little less easy at night knowing we could be knocking on their door.”

Description

A convicted sex offender is back behind bars after he repeatedly ignored a court order. Pervert David Dingwall Coughtrie has a long history with dozens of offences on his record.

The 54-year-old was last given a 'final chance' in 2021 after he used a fake name to contact a schoolboy on the PlayStation.

But police discovered that he had deleted WhatsApp messages and an image of a child after officers from Staffordshire Police’s Sexual Offender Management Unit (SOMU) visited his home on December 12 last year.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he did not declare having access to any other devices but a search following his arrest uncovered a games console and a tablet.

Now Coughtrie, of Etruria, has been sentenced to two years in prison. He pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and failing to comply with notification requirements.

Coughtrie has been subject to an indefinite SHPO since 2016. Among the cases involving Coughtrie that The Sentinel and StokeonTrentLive have reported include:

• Using a fake name and giving his number to a teenage boy after they met playing Grand Theft Auto in 2020.
• Using search terms such as ‘pre-teen models’ and ‘virgin solo models’ on a phone he was not allowed to own in 2019.
• Hiding mobile phones beneath his bed in 2016.
• Possessing indecent images of children in 2005.

Speaking after the most recent case, Detective Sergeant Laura Ames, of the force’s SOMU, said: “We take the management of sex offenders extremely seriously and will pursue and prosecute those who choose not to comply.

“Coughtrie rightly has very strict requirements that he is expected to abide by, and he has shown a complete disregard and lack of respect for them on a number of occasions. This sentencing should serve as a deterrent for others.”

Description

A teen girl who fought off a sex attacker in Surrey has been honoured with a bravery award. The girl - who was 15 at the time of the attack - kicked "dangerous sexual predator" Nathan Smith and managed to run away.

The teenager was walking through the alleyway next to Ewell station when she was approached from behind by a man who inappropriately touched her and tried to pin her to a fence. During her struggle to get away, the man punched her in the head.

She was able to kick him off and run home. Police used CCTV footage from the station and facial recognition software to identify the man as Smith, 32, of Revelon Road in Lewisham, London.

The hunt to find and arrest Smith came to an end a month later when he was arrested in London for shoplifting. He was flagged as wanted in the shared police database and was transferred to Surrey where he was questioned in connection with the sexual assault.

He denied the allegation and attempted to manipulate officers in his interview with confusing contradictions about why he was in the alleyway. However, during a trial at Guildford Crown Court, Smith’s movements that evening were shown to the jury.

CCTV captured him leaving Ewell station and scoping out the alleyway, walking up and down several times before returning to the train station. Moments later, he was seen to notice the victim get off a train and walk towards the alleyway when he then followed her.

Smith was found guilty of sexual assault and common assault at the same court on Friday (February 3). He was sentenced to six years in prison with a further four years to be served on license and will also be on the sex offenders' register for life.

The girl, who is now 16, was given the High Sheriff award by a Judge for her bravery in fighting off Smith.

Victim showed 'astounding bravery'

Detective Constable Nicola Dell, who investigated the case, said: “This result is testament to the victim who showed astounding bravery from the moment she fought him off, right through to court. Her testimony left the jury in no doubt of Smith’s abhorrent, pre-meditated intentions that day.

“Not only has she been through a terrifying ordeal, but she has also been able to excel at her exams whilst supporting our investigation, and I know that I, along with the officers in my team, are incredibly proud of her achievements. We were committed from the outset of this investigation to bringing Smith to justice, using every tool available to us to identify and arrest him.

"He is clearly a dangerous sexual predator and should not be allowed to threaten the safety of women and girls who have every right to walk home without fear."

The victim and her family commented: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Surrey Police, from the bottom of our hearts, for their care, support and professionalism in bringing this criminal to justice. Knowing that justice has been served will go a long way in starting the healing process.”

We would encourage all survivors of rape and sexual assault to come forward – whether directly to us, to a support service, or to someone you trust, such as a healthcare professional.

Description

A sex offender breached the terms of a court order with his “clandestine” collection of electronic devices on which he searched for indecent images of children.

David Alan Carr was back before Durham Crown Court for sentence today (Wednesday February 8) for four breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed in the same building, in October 2018.

On that occasion, a judge imposed a suspended sentence order on Carr over his large collection of indecent and prohibited images of children, found on devices retrieved by police from his home in Murton, in 2016.

The sentencing judge in 2018 said he hoped that by suspending the sentence the Probation Service could work with Carr to help him overcome his, “entrenched behaviour”.

But the court heard today that on a monitoring visit to his home, in Woods Terrace, on October 19 last year, police discovered various devices capable of allowing internet access which he had failed to inform them he owned.

Andrew Finlay, prosecuting, said, officers seized 17 hard drives and lap-top computers and it was discovered Carr had used a covert internet browser and online cloud storage.

Examination of three of the hard drives uncovered the presence of 60 indecent images of children, 29 in the most serious category, 553 prohibited images of children and 78 classed as, “extreme pornography”, portraying scenes of bestiality.

Mr Finlay said 443 of the illicit images were accessible and all were said to have been originally downloaded between 2007 and 2010, pre-dating the images over which he was convicted in 2018.

When police returned to his home on November 10 and arrested him, he was asked if he had a mobile phone, and he handed over a device which was found to have an internet “history” dating from October 2021.

It emerged he had asked a relative for help with a SIM card and the phone had been in use since August 2022, despite Carr’s previous claims to police that he did not have a phone.

He made no reply to police questions when interviewed, but, appearing later before magistrates, the 44-year-old defendant admitted four breaches of the 2018 SHPO and possession of indecent and prohibited images of children, plus possessing extreme pornographic images.

His advocate, Martin Scarborough, told today’s sentencing hearing that it had to be accepted these were “persistent” breaches of the order over a few weeks in October last year and that the offending images pre-dated those found in his earlier single conviction.

Mr Scarborough described Carr as, “a socially-isolated individual” and the recent breaches followed his return to drinking more heavily after discovering a close family member’s illness was more serious than previously believed.

But Mr Scarborough said the defendant made immediate admissions on the first opportunity at court and added that it was still thought he could work with the Probation Service to overcome his predilection, while he could also be given an alcohol abstinence order to curb his drinking.

But Judge Kidd said despite the age of the images discovered last October, Carr was still able to retrieve them, which was an “aggravating feature” of the case.

She said: “It’s equally clear that in 2022, and from 2019, he continued to search for images of children and I must pass sentence over a significant quantity of them.

“He was given the opportunity to engage with the Probation Service when he was given the suspended sentence order in October 2018.