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A former Mayor has been jailed for nine years for child sex offences against a 13-year-old girl.

Ex-Tory councillor Simon Thornton, 46, who was Mayor of Godalming, Surrey, groomed the girl with sweets and a top of the range mobile phone, Guildford Crown Court heard.

He forced the teenage girl to sleep in bed with him and his wife during the three years of abuse, reports Get Surrey.

The court also heard how Thornton told the arresting police officers: "You know I am the Mayor of Godalming?"

Mr Thornton admitted to 22 child sex offences, involving sexual relations with the girl when she was aged between 13 and 15.

He denied two other counts of paying for sex and producing child pornography.

The judge told of how he sexually abused the girl on a "weekly" basis over a three year period.

At the sentencing on Monday the court heard how Thornton engaged in sexual activity with the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in a number of locations including both their houses, an office, in the woods and in a van.

The court heard how Thornton "groomed" the girl from her 13th birthday and gifted her with sweets and the "most up-to-date mobile phone".

He picked her up from school and invited her to his work and home whenever possible.

During the police investigation, officers discovered condoms under the floorboards of his office in the butchers shop he owned at the time.

He even had her sleep next to him and his now ex-wife in an attempt to normalise his behaviour.

Investigating officer police constable Tamzin Ede said: "Simon Thornton displayed predatory behaviour to abuse a child for a prolonged period.

"He clearly believed he would get away with this offending given how long it carried on and has now rightly been jailed for his abhorrent crimes.

"Simon Thornton's crimes have impacted the victim through her childhood and into adult life, the offending against her have caused low confidence, depression and difficulties in building new trusted relationships.

"The victim in this case has shown real courage in reporting and supporting the police investigation."

Wendy Cottee, prosecuting, said the victim was suffering with personal problems at home.

Ms Cottee said: "At the time she felt safe and secure and did not see anything wrong about what was happening."

She said how the victim added Thornton's contact details under the name "Charlie" on her phone, who she described as "someone she was going out with" to her family.

It was only when she turned 15 the victim began to realise his behaviour was wrong and decided to distant herself away from Thornton.

When Thornton was arrested on October 24 2017 at his butcher's shop in Godalming, he told police: "You know I am the Mayor of Godalming?"

The court heard a statement read out on behalf of the victim who talked about her "toxic relationship" with her mother, how she felt "safe" in Thornton's company and felt very "anxious and nervous" when she told police about their relationship.

The statement how she has "suffered with depression" and how she "isolates" herself, struggling to form new friendships in her life.

Ian Wilkinson, for the defence, told the court how Thornton suffered from dyslexia and tried to overcome to go to college to pursue a career.

Mr Wilkinson told the court how Mr Thornton expressed "remorse" the moment he was arrested and confessed to his wife on the phone at the police station about what had happened and understood how this had an effect on his friends and family.

The defence counsel stated he has no previous convictions and has added "nothing suggests Mr Thornton is a dangerous offender".

Before delivering sentence, Judge Robert Fraser told Thornton: "The fact is you exploited her vulnerability."

On May 8, Thornton pleaded guilty to 16 charges including eight counts of sexual activity with a child, possessing indecent images of a child including category A - the highest rating - videos, 33 Cat A photos, 2 Cat B photos and 32 Cat C photos.

He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment where he was told he has to serve "at least half of that". If he is released before this time, he will serve the rest of his sentence on licence.

Thornton, of Borden, Hampshire, will be on the Sexual Offenders Register and receives a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to be served indefinitely.

He has been disqualified from working with children indefinitely too.

He entered not guilty pleas for voyeurism and paying a child for sexual services which will "remain on file".

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A LERWICK man who had stored tens of thousands of indecent images of children on his computers will be sentenced early next month. David William Bruce, of the towns Voderview, admitted a charge of taking or permitted to be taken indecent photographs of children over an almost ten year period between August 2008 and 25 October 2017. Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Thursday that police officers had found almost 50,000 indecent images and videos stored on six laptops, 13 mobile phones and a further seven memory cards. Of the 48,894 images, just over 1,000 were of the most extreme category involving very young children. Procurator Duncan Mackenzie said some of the images found were of the very worst imaginable. The fiscal told the court that a further 547,373 images found on Bruces computers were found to be borderline. He went on to say that 57 year old Bruce had acquired significant expertise in finding and downloading these images, and had done so over a lengthy period and had organised the images in archives in a systematic fashion. Mackenzie added that there was no suggestion that Bruce had shared the images with anybody else. Sheriff Ian Cruickshank deferred sentencing until 4 July to allow a criminal justice social work report to be prepared. Bail was continued, and Bruce was put on the sex offenders register.

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A man in his 40s has been jailed after he was convicted of sex offences which occurred when he was a teenager.

Jason Hughes, 43, of Ffordd Mela, Pwllheli, pleaded not guilty at Mold Crown Court but was this afternoon convicted of indecent assault and indecency with a child by a 10 to two majority.

He was cleared of a third charge.

Judge Niclas Parry jailed him for three and a half years and ordered him to register with the police as a sex offender for life.

A life-time sexual harm prevention order was made under which he is not to approach the victim in any way.

He is not to have any unsupervised contact with girls under 16 apart from what is unavoidable in day to day life unless he had the consent of a parent or guardian who knows all about his offending.

Judge Parry said that, when he was aged 18 or so, the defendant had gratified himself sexually by abusing her when she was very young.

He isolated her and indulged in sexual acts with her.

She was a total innocent used by you for pleasure, the judge told him.

You knew that at that age if you told her not to tell anyone she would listen and that is what happened.

The judge said that, if he was sentenced under modern-day guidelines, the starting point would have been four years with a range of three to eight years.

Hughes, he said, was a hardworking man of good character.

He had been convicted of few incidents which were not repeated and no violence or threats had been used.

The offences occurred some 25 years ago when the defendant himself was aged about 18, the judge said.

Prosecuting barrister Anna Price told how the victim, now an adult woman, came forward more recently and reported what had happened to her when she was young.

Defending barrister Duncan Bould said after the jury verdicts that the defendant knew it had to be custody, which would be a big change for him he would lose his job and in all probability his home.

The sentence would mean that he would lose contact with his young son who he saw on a regular basis.

His offending as found by the jury had been limited and in the intervening 25 years or so he had led a positive life.

He had essentially worked for the same employer, he worked hard and had raised a family, said Mr Bould.

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Pervert Mahmoud Morad was snared by a paedophile hunter as he tried to meet an 11-year-old girl after grooming her online.

The 30-year-old Egyptian met the schoolgirl called Chloe on the internet.

He sent her sexual photographs before he travelled from his Stoke-on-Trent home to Burton to meet up.

But when he arrived, he was confronted by a group of paedophile vigilantes and he was arrested following an ugly confrontation.

Now Morad has been jailed for two-and-a-half years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

The court heard the defendant accessed an adult website called Nearby in November and became aware of someone posting under the name Chloe Howarth. She indicated she was aged 11 and posted a photograph to support the claim.

Morad asked Chloe to send him intimate pictures of herself and he sent sexual photographs before arranging to meet.

The defendant, who has no previous offences, denied attempting to cause or incite sexual exploitation of a child; attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act; and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. But he was convicted of all three charges after a trial this week.

Michael Edmonds, defending, said the defendant has now lost his good character and the convictions will have ruinous consequences.

Mr Edmonds added: It may be he is unlikely to reside in this country going forward.

It is very hard for him and his wife. It is going to be a matter of considerable distress to her that he is incarcerated and, in all likelihood, will be deported.

Judge David Fletcher said: You travelled with the intention at some stage of involving yourself in penetrative sexual activity with a child. There is no evidence to say it would have happened on the first occasion you met.

There were sexual images exchanged. The picture sent to her was particularly graphic in terms of what it was showing, and it was intended for a child aged only 11.

This was very bad behaviour by you. It wasnt just foolish, this was criminal behaviour.

You entered into these discussions, these chat logs, with someone, and I have no doubt you believed she was 11 years of age, and you continued to do that over a period of days before arranging to meet her.

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Standing in the dock Sam Ashley, 30, was close to tears as the term was handed down by a judge at Portsmouth Crown Court today.

Police have welcomed the sentence, branding Ashley, who used GHB and diazepam to drug his victims, as 'dangerous, calculating and manipulative'.

Insurance worker Ashley, who told some of his victims he had terminal colon cancer in an effort to win their sympathy, was last month convicted of four rapes, two attempted rapes, and four charges of administering a substance with intent.

Prosecutor Robert Bryan said that Ashley's administering of the date-rape drug GHB to a man with HIV 'could have killed' him because of the combination with the victim's medicine.

Ashley had laced one victim's cup of tea with a drug, gave diazepam to another victim and even drove another to Ashley's then-home in North End in order to rape him.

He has now been banned from using the Grindr app and from forming a sexual relationship without telling police under the terms of a sexual harm prevention order.

Ashley, of Lynton Gardens, Fareham, appeared in court from the cells after breaching the bail he was granted after the trial.

Addressing Ashley, judge David Melville QC said: 'You made every step which was needed, so far as you saw it, in your warped way of thinking in order to overcome their reluctance and allow you to get up close when their barriers were down.

'There's a pattern of behaviour here – it's dangerous in my judgment.

'There you are, just imagine, you found it possible to get those drugs, you used them when you wanted to on innocent victims, one of whom was already seriously ill.

'You took serious advantage of them and of course that was repeated on four occasions, all put into effect to make it easy for your by the use of the Grindr website, an easy way to meet those in the gay community.

'And of course if you met with reluctance you had a wheeze, a final one - you told them you were dying of cancer.'

The judge added: 'This was calculated behaviour, it was deliberate and awful.'

Ashley was convicted of:

• Drugging and twice raping a university student he met on Grindr to go jogging with.

• Raping, twice trying to rape, and drugging a man with HIV.

• Drugging a man who woke up to find 'a number of sex toys on the bed' with Ashley.

• Raping and drugging a man he met for a threesome who had taken what he thought was paracetamol from Ashley for a headache.

Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector James Stewart, from Hampshire police, said: 'Samuel Ashley is a dangerous, calculating and manipulative individual who committed some of the most serious offences against multiple victims.

'Today he has been jailed for a significant period of time and the community is a safer place.'

A trial heard Ashley had drugged and raped men he met on Grindr over six months in 2016. He also drugged another man earlier that year.

William Mousley QC, for Ashley, said 'triggers' for Ashley's offending included the break-up of his civil partnership, workplace bullying, an anxiety diagnosis, and 'undoubtedly significant events in Sam Ashley's childhood which had never been confronted'.

Mr Mousley said Ashley had now written a letter to police about those matters.

He said: 'The combination of those various factors and the stresses that they brought may well provide an explanation for why he had behaved in the way he did in that period of six months in 2016.

'We submit that those combination of factors are unlikely to recur in his life.'

Mr Mousley added: 'We submit that at the age of 30, while of course he will receive a lengthy term of imprisonment, he is someone who could be rehabilitated.'

He added that 'at the appropriate time (Ashley should be allowed to) be able to take steps to rebuild the life that has been shattered as a result of his offending'.

Ashley had breathed a sigh of relief as the judge declined to give a life sentence but then was close to tears as the 23-year term was imposed.

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A young man from Dover who avoided jail for possessing indecent images has admitted to breaching a sexual offences order.

Kyle Brown, of Farthingloe Cottages in Folkestone Road, received a 16 month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, for distributing and possessing indecent images.

The 24-year-old appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court today (May 30) and pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual offences prevention order placed on him at Canterbury Crown Court on January 31.

The offence involved Brown failing to let police look at two mobile phones capable of connecting to the internet on April 10.

Brown was released on unconditional bail and will appear at Canterbury Crown Court at a later date for sentencing.

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A FATHER of one from Ellesmere Port who sexually molested a young girl has been jailed for five years.

As Stuart Lloyd, who had denied the allegations, was led to the cells he turned to relatives of the victim in the crowded public gallery behind him and threatened: “In a couple of years I’ll get you.”

He had been convicted by a jury after a trial of two offences of sexually assaulting the 10-year-old child but was cleared of raping a 12-year-old girl a couple of years earlier.

Judge Andrew Menary QC pointed out that his comment was a “potential contempt of court” but he said he was taking no action about it and commended those in the public gallery for their restrained behaviour during the proceedings.

Jailing the 33-year-old, he said that when Lloyd later thought about what he had done “you no doubt realised you had gone too far because you attempted to buy her silence by giving her some money”.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the sexual assaults came to light after the victim told her grandmother what Lloyd had done to her and the police were notified.

The girl told how he had kissed her all over her face and put his tongue in her mouth, which the judge described as “gross behaviour by an adult with a ten-year-old child”.

Lloyd went on to touch all over her body, including her naked genitalia.

“She was thoroughly bewildered by what had happened but knew instantly that it was wrong,” said Judge Menary.

Lloyd, of Cannon Street, Ellesmere Port, was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and the judge imposed a Sexual Harm Behaviour Order - banning unsupervised contact with girls under 16 - for five years.

Anthony O’Donohoe, defending, said that Lloyd has a diagnosis of being on the autistic spectrum and probably also has ADHD. He presents as “rather immature” and these factors will make his time in prison more difficult than for more sophisticated individuals.

He has no similar previous convictions and he will be affected by loss of contact with his baby daughter and his small family unit, he added.

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A predatory paedophiles sickening campaign of sexual abuse of a vulnerable child was revealed after the victims mother caught them in bed together.

Toby Lees, 29, of Garland Road, Colchester, admitted a string of sexual offences including rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault between 2011 and 2018.

At Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday (May 25), Lees was sentenced during a hearing attended by the young boys family.

At around 9.30pm on March 11, the victims mother caught her son and the defendant in bed together.

Their lower halves were covered and she saw the defendant quickly move his hand, causing her to become suspicious.

After coming clean to his sickening crimes, Lees sent a text to his mother, despite initially denying everything.

The text read: Mum, I would never try and excuse what has happened.

I know it was wrong and accept the consequences of my actions.

I am not passing blame, I know I am an adult that should never have let it happen. When can I expect the police to turn up?

He was arrested by police and his phone was seized where it was discovered he searched various indecent terms online.

In his police interview on March 13, he made a 79-page confession of sexual abuse against the young victim spanning several years.

As the defendant told police about his gross catalogue of abuse, Lee claimed he did not know why he allowed it to continue and felt physically sick after it happened.

He said was it was a 50/50 relationship but told officers he was not putting the blame on his victim as he was a child.

Lees claimed there was never any force and that it was never devised or planned it but that it just happened.

In a police statement, the victims mother told officers her son was vulnerable, lacking in confidence and is overall an anxious boy.

She explained how he was not someone that trusts people easily and finds it hard to build relationships.

During his interview, the victim told police about the abuse starting when he was was prepubescent.

He could not remember how or why it started but was asked what kind of things would happen.

The victim went on to describe on one occasion that Lee attempted to penetrate his anus but it was too painful and they stopped.

Prosecuting lawyer Carolyn Gardiner told the court how the abuse completely changed the victim.

The victim is not the same.

He has been assessed for counselling and is on the waiting list but he has been told that it could be five months before he is seen.

Mitigating on the defendant's behalf, Nneka Akudolu said: He had a good sense and courage to admit to these very serious offences.

"These offences lead to a lengthy custodial sentence and he acknowledges and accepts that is what to follow.

Having read his pre-sentence report, there is a glimmer of hope for rehabilitation without the need for a dangerous determination.

He had not so much an interview as a 79-page confession, he had not held back at all when questioned by police.

The offences he has pleaded guilty to have been formed around his own confessions.

"Some in his position facing similar charges do not always do what is clearly right."

Ms Akudolu added that her client's own child would suffer as a result of her father being punished.

"He wants to make it clear he pleaded guilty because he is guilty and because he is sorry, not only sorry for what he has done to his victim but also the distress he has caused to the family," she continued.

There are no excuses for his behaviour, he is responsible for his action and he described getting caught as almost a relief as he had to confront the depraved truth of what he was doing.

It is a very sad day for everyone concerned, there is no one in the public gallery in support of him and he only has himself to blame.

Judge Turner turned to the defendant in the dock, who looked at the floor throughout the sentencing, calling his campaign of abuse a depraved course of conduct.

Sentencing Lees, the judge told him: You are 30 years of age, you are father of a four-year-old daughter, you perpetrated across seven years a series of gross sexual offences against a young boy.

You were discovered in fairly dramatic circumstances, you were caught red-handed.

You knew his age, you knew the danger, you knew the consequences and you still participated in disgraceful conduct.

"It was exploitative, it was opportunistic and deliberate.

It was a horrific course of conduct which has cast a shadow over much of his life.

You should have known better than to do what you did.

Lees was sentenced to 14 years in prison after admitting to a charge of rape, attempted rape, four counts of sexual assault and seven counts of causing or inciting sexual activity with a child.

A sexual harm prevention order was also put in place and Lees was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

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Paedophile Ivan Keeling has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of raping and sexually abusing a schoolgirl.

The pervert pensioner groomed his young victim before subjecting her to a 'campaign of abuse' over an eight-year period.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the 71-year-old plied his victim with money, cigarettes, alcohol and chocolates before sexually assaulting and raping her. The victim has been left psychologically affected by the abuse.

Keeling, of Hammersley Hayes Road, Cheadle, denied sexual assault of a child under 13; rape of a child under 13; and two offences of sexual activity with a child. But he was found guilty of all the offences after a trial this week.

Elizabeth Power, mitigating, said: "It is difficult to find words to mitigate for such offences which he has now been convicted of. The jury accepted what the complainant said. On her evidence it was a sustained and prolonged number of offences over some time."

He told the defendant: "You have been convicted of a catalogue of the most serious sexual offences against a child.

"There is no doubt whatsoever, having heard the evidence, that you commenced a campaign of sexual abuse against her. You behaved in a way which was, quite frankly, appalling.

"You provided her with things she wanted, items of confectionery, cigarettes, alcohol and money. But all at a price that she satisfied your sexual predilections for many years.

"Throughout the trial you have completely denied any responsibility. It was perfectly clear to me and the jury that what was happening was a campaign of sexual behaviour towards a vulnerable child."

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A man who raped two women during a campaign of cruelty and control has been jailed for eight years.

Thomas Gordon, 54, carried out painful attacks on his victims and threatened to post topless pictures of a third woman to her work colleagues.

The attacks took place in Comrie and Aberdour in Fife between 2010 and 2016.

The judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told Gordon, formerly of Comrie, that all his victims had been "badly damaged" by his conduct.

Lady Scott said he had been convicted of charges that involved "a course of controlling, abusive and threatening conduct".

Gordon had denied a string of charges but was found guilty of two offences of rape and further crimes of assault and threatening and abusive behaviour.

One of his victims told the trial he had made her give up her job, and tried to stop her having contact with any men.

She said: "He took my phone away from me so I didn't have any numbers. I lost contact with my family because of him."

Gordon's defence lawyer said he continued to deny his guilt.

After the sentencing, Det Sgt Mark Kane, of Police Scotland, said Gordon presented "a significant risk to women".

He added: "It is only through the courage of his victims in coming forward and reporting what he had done, that he has now been brought to justice and I hope the sentence today brings some form of closure for these women.

"There is no time limit for anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward. It is never too late to report to the police or to seek support and advice from one of our partner agencies, such as Womens Aid.

"Equally, I hope this conviction sends a clear message to perpetrators that the passage of time is no barrier to investigations, nor access to justice for victims."

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A former head teacher who secretly filmed boys getting changed and downloaded child abuse images has been jailed. More than 3,500 indecent images were found on devices belonging to 47-year-old Tim Moule, who was the safeguarding lead at his school. Videos of boys changing from uniforms into sports kit were also recovered. Moule, from Shropshire, admitted voyeurism and making indecent images charges and was jailed for 52 months. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he was reported to the police after a parent had found social media messages from him to her son. Prosecutor Howard Searle said Moule was sacked after indecent images, downloaded following 1,700 separate paedophile-related web searches, were found on a hard drive and laptop. Moule, of Severn Way, Cressage, told police he had not gained sexual gratification from the images but refused to comment further after images of his voyeurism victims were recovered. Sentencing him at Stafford Crown Court, Judge Michael Chambers QC said it was difficult to envisage a more gross breach of trust and that had not shown much remorse. He added that an aggravating feature of the indecent image offences were that the children were in "pain and distress." Defence barrister Jasvir Mann said "little can be said" to mitigate his conduct and Moule knew that there was no excuse for accessing the material. Moule, who is married, was the head of schools in Wolverhampton and Shropshire after a "stellar" career rise. He previously admitted six counts of recording a person doing a private act and two counts of making indecent photos of a child.

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Mark Kirby, from Thirlestane Crescent, Far Cotton, was sentenced to a total of three years and four months, after pleading guilty to one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted three counts of causing or inciting a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity and two of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Sentencing Kirby, Judge Adrienne Lucking QC told Northampton Crown Court: "This is a clear example of the dangers people like you bring to the internet.

"You were persistent and determined in your efforts to establish a sexual relationship with children online."

Judge Lucking also made him the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

PC Chris Barker-Bowles, who led the investigation leading to Kirbys conviction, said: Kirby preyed on children in the most sickening way and for his own sexual gratification.

"Im happy with todays court result which follows a long and complex investigation.

If people choose to engage in this appalling way they can expect our specialist police officers to be detecting and tracking their activity.

"We will bring to justice anybody who exploits children in this way.

Kirby will serve 20 months of his sentence before being freed on licence.

An NSPCC spokeswoman said: Kirby went to great lengths to commit horrifying abuse against children and his actions are a stark reminder of the risks associated with the internet.

Its far too easy for predators to contact young people online often with devastating effects - and its important that parents discuss the dangers with their children.

The government has a crucial part to play and its recent commitment to legislate to protect children online is a huge step forward and a victory for the NSPCCs Wild West Web campaign.

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A FATHER who followed his victim for more than 15 minutes before attacking her has been sentenced to seven and a half years in jail. Gary Carlisle, 50, of South Ham Road, South Ham, admitted to attempting to rape a woman at a previous hearing and was jailed today (Friday 18 May) at Winchester Crown Court. The court heard that Carlisle attempted to rape the 38-year-old woman in the car park of The Rising Sun, in Chapel Hill, in the early hours of Sunday, 19 November 2017. The woman was on a night out with friends when she went to walk home alone. CCTV footage showed to the court saw that Carlisle followed her through the town centre before attacking her. Detectives identified Carlisle through forensic and CCTV enquiries and he was then arrested and charged. After sentencing detective inspector Penny Murray, from Hampshire Constabularys Amberstone team, said: This was a disturbing case and I would like to thank the survivor for the bravery and courage she has shown in getting this to court. Carlisle followed her through the town centre after she had enjoyed a night out with friends. She was alone and vulnerable as she walked home and Carlisle followed her before attempting to rape her. Offences like these are rare in Basingstoke, but I hope that the sentence given today will give people confidence to report these crimes to us when they do occur. We know how hard it is to come forward and report these offences, whether they have taken place recently or in the past, and we are committed to getting justice for victims and have specially trained officers to support them through the process.

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The victim of a predatory Northampton taxi driver has described how the jailed sex attacker showed no remorse for his 'heinous' crimes by denying his guilt for three years. Abdul Shohid, of Overstone Road, The Mounts, was arrested in 2015 after two women reported him to the police. The taxi driver, who ran a private firm in Northampton, was then linked to an unsolved rape case after police matched his DNA. Last month, judge Robert Brown handed the 47-year-old a 12-year sentence for the rape and a further six months for the two sexual assaults. But one of his victims has described how the cab driver dragged his victims through a three-year ordeal by maintaining his not guilty plea. It is clear Shohid is a sexual predator who has been preying on vulnerable women for some time," said the victim in an impact statement. "Operating a taxi firm, he abused his position of responsibility and took advantage of three women that are known of. "I feel I got away lightly, and if I were in an intoxicated state it may have been a considerably more horrific outcome. "My sympathies go to the poor young woman he raped. "I personally no longer take taxis unless absolutely necessary and never, under any circumstances, at night or on my own. "It is a sad reflection on the strain and lack of funding on the judicial system that it took eight sets of trial dates and deferments and over three years to bring this individual to justice. "And the fact Shohid pleaded 'not guilty' shows he had no remorse or accountability for his heinous actions by putting the victims through the additional ordeal of a crown court trial.