Jonathan Montgomery 44

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A Brighouse man who put his two victims through a trial after sexually abusing them three decades ago has been jailed.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday that Jonathan Montgomery, 44, was found guilty by a jury of one charge of rape and two allegations of indecent assault. He was jailed for six years.

The court heard that Montgomery, of Whinney Hill Park, committed the offences when he was aged between 14 and 16.

In her victim impact statement one of the two complainants, who must not be identified for legal reasons, said she was angry that the case went to trial and she had to give evidence. The other complainant said she would not forgive Montgomery for his offending against her and his failure to admit his part in it.

One of the women said in her statement that she felt angry and disgusted by what Montgomery was doing, but at the time she did not speak out because she did not think she would be believed.

Barrister Paul Canfield, for Montgomery, told the court the defendant had suffered with mental health issues, but he was now engaging with services while in custody. Mr Canfield said his client had also struggled with a drug addiction for many years, but he had now been clean for four months.

Recorder Palmer said it was plain from the victim impact statements that Montgomery’s offending against the two complainants had had a lifelong effect upon them.

The judge said he had seen and heard the rape victim give evidence during the trial and he sentenced Montgomery on the basis that she had suffered severe psychological harm as a result of his offending. He explained that the sentence for an adult after a trial would have been 10 years, but Montgomery was only 14 at the time of the rape and it was appropriate for that sentence to be reduced because of his youth.

Recorder Palmer jailed Montgomery for five years for the rape and indecent assault against one of the complainants and imposed an additional one year in jail for his indecent assault against the second victim.

Montgomery will now have to register as a sex offender with the police for an indefinite period and he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the next 10 years.