Joseph Fay 67

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A child rapist brought to justice for sexually abusing a young girl in the 1980s has been jailed for 15 years.

Joseph Fay, 66, subjected his young victim to repeated sexual assaults in the 1980s  - against a background of bullying violence.

Prosecuting, Charles Ward-Jackson told Oxford Crown Court that in her interviews with the police the victim described being beaten with a belt and had her head held underwater.

“There appeared to be a suggestion some of that was being done because she was not complying with his sexual demands,” said Mr Ward-Jackson, conceding that he had not been the prosecutor during the trial and was standing in for his absent colleague on Friday (May 19).

Judge Maria Lamb, who oversaw the trial, said she would treat the violence as an aggravating feature of the offending, as it was ‘very much part of the background’ to what Fay did.

Fay, of Blay Close, Blackbird Leys, was convicted by a jury in March of rape and indecent assault. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on a count of indecency with a child.

Although he had previous convictions, they were for dissimilar offences of violence and theft – and were relatively old.

His barrister, Jane Carpenter, asked the judge to bear in mind that the defendant suffered from poor health. Since his remand into custody 10 weeks earlier, he had struggled to get important heart medication.

On one occasion he had been left without his medication for several days, while on another he was told to take aspirin as an alternative to his prescribed drugs.

Ms Carpenter said: “I urge you not to give such a long sentence that he would have no realistic prospect of seeing life outside prison in his lifetime.”

Judge Lamb imposed 15 years’ imprisonment. Fay will also be subject to an extended year on licence as a ‘sex offender of particular concern’, having been convicted of the sexual offences against the child.

Welcoming the sentence, Thames Valley Police investigator Karen Zoldan said: “The victim in this case has had to endure many months of waiting, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic causing a backlog of cases.

“But she wanted her voice to be heard and we were determined to bring Fay before the courts to be held accountable for his horrendous offending.

“The impact that this abuse has had on the victim has shaped her life and had a massive impact on her.”

She added: “I would like to pay tribute to her for her patience and for putting her trust in us to bring Fay to court.

“He will now serve a very lengthy prison sentence as a result of his actions, and I hope that this will help the victim to move on with her life.”