Latest Offenders

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During swimming lessons George Holden, 88, offered to dry boys in the changing rooms after lessons - performing sex acts on them.

Derby Crown Court heard sick Holden even sexually abused one of the boys while holding him in the water inside the pool.

He encouraged two young victims - pupils at a school where his wife worked - to visit his home over a period between 1973 and 1978.

Once there he had both boys perform oral sex on him and had penetrative sex with one of them.

The court heard Holden forced one of the boys to watch pornography and there was a “sex toy” present on another occasion.

Holden gave both boys – aged between 7 and 11 years old – sweets to “keep their mouths shut” and threatened one that if he told anyone he would “hurt his parents” and his friends would “find out he was gay”.

Prosecutor Julia King described how the pensioner “groomed" and "charmed” both boys' parents.

On one occasion one of the young boys was on holiday in Skegness with his parents at the same time that Holden was performing at a nearby caravan site.

Ms King said Holden “abused (the victim) in his own caravan in the same way that he had at his home address”.

The prosecutor said the young boy had spent time with Holden with his parents “blessing”, adding that they “looked up to him as a celebrity”.

Both victims – ashamed of what had happened – remained silent about Holden’s abuse until one of them plucked up the courage to approach police in 2018.

However the court heard today entertainer and “clown” Holden had been prosecuted previously for abusing other young boys

In 1961 Holden was convicted for three counts of indecent assault against children at a residential school for the partially-sighted – where he would climb into bed with his victims.

And in 1983, aged 50, Holden was handed a community order with 240 hours’ unpaid work after being convicted of attempted buggery and two indecent assaults against children while working at Queen’s Park Swimming Pool.

“Predatory paedophile” Holden asked at the time for seven other offences to be taken into consideration – however he kept silent about two of his victims.

Judge Robert Egbuna told him: “The sentence reflects the approach to sentencing for sexual offences in the sixties and eighties.

"I have no doubt that when you were sentenced and you asked for the offences to be taken into consideration it was not lost upon you that you had abused two other young boys in the manner that you did.

"The most serious offending that you did not bring to the court’s attention – and no doubt for very good reason.”

Judge Egbuna told Holden he “clearly knew” the offences were wrong.

He added: “These offences were committed while your wife was not in the house and teaching.”

Telling Holden “despite your age it is clear to me you are a manipulative individual,” the judge noted while giving evidence Holden had sought to portray himself as “someone who had difficulties with your memory”.

However he added: “It was palpably clear to me you had a very good memory.”

In statements read out to the court Holden’s victims described feeling “ashamed” of what had happened and struggling with “flashbacks”.

One wrote: “Throughout my childhood I suffered with nightmares and night terrors after George Holden started abusing me.

"I’ve had flashbacks throughout my life and these have escalated since I’ve spoken about what happened to me.

"I found it difficult to make friends at school because of a lack of confidence – all this affected my academic achievement.”

He described how Holden “groomed and manipulated” the adults around him.

"Because of this I felt I was unable to trust them and disclose what had happened to me,” he said.

The other victim described having to leave the room when TV programmes addressing sexual abuse were on.

He said: “I’ve never really forgotten or overcome those days while in the changing rooms or at his house.”

Stuart Lody, mitigating for Holden, described how the defendant attended boarding school as a young boy – where he was “introduced to this sort of behaviour.”

Mr Lody said Holden had “said goodbye to his wife”, adding: “He fully expects he will die in prison – probably sooner rather than later.”

Holden, of Ashgate Road, Chesterfield, admitted 17 offences – including 12 counts of indecent assault, two counts of gross indecency with a child and three counts of buggery.

He was jailed for 14 years – meaning 13 years in jail and one year on licence.

Holden was sentenced according to the “sentencing regime” at the time his offences were committed, said Judge Egbuna.

He was ordered to serve at least three-quarters of his sentence and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A teacher from a school in Leytonstone has been jailed for two years after admitting she had a sexual relationship with a pupil at her school.

Disgraced sports tutor Erin Hebblewhite, 29, admitted to seven charges which involved abusing her position to groom and sexually abuse a 16-year-old at Connaught School for Girls.

Hebblewhite took the teen's virginity in a restaurant bathroom on Valentine's Day and was the first person to kiss her.

The Sports Teacher of the Year contender also tried to pressure her into having sex in the toilets of Primark during a shopping trip.

The offending came to light when the teen's phone was seized by her mother and a family member was able to find explicit messages despite pleas from Hebblewhite for the girl to delete them.

Four charges relate to sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 to 17 and abusing her position of trust, with the fifth charge being sexual activity in the presence of a teenager.

The other two charges are taking and possession of indecent photographs of a girl under the age of 17.

Judge Neil Sanders, passing sentence, imposed a 10-year restraining order and sexual harm preventing order banning her from contacting the victim or working with children in any capacity.

He also jailed Hebblewhite for two years with all charges to run concurrently.

He said: “You sent her a text asking if she liked you. From that point, the relationship developed.

“It developed into flirtation, with you calling her a heart throb and the sexual encounters began.

“This involved kissing in the school premises and [the complainant] felt she was pressurised and she gave in.

“You went on a date in a restaurant and that was the first occasion in which there was sex.

“There were rumours going around the school and, in fact, the school warned you to be careful as you could get into trouble.

“When you split up with your partner, [the complainant] would go to your house and the sex would continue in your house.

“She had pictures taken of her. She felt she needed to do so to make you happy.”

He continued: “I have read the victim personal statement and can summarise as such the areas [the victim] describes is feeling guilty and shame and depression, PTSD and feeling suicidal.

"She describes the interruption of an important time of education and development.

'She talks about the damage to her relationships of her friends, family and her best friend. She says she struggles with adult relationships and she found the criminal process an ordeal.

“Given the number of your offences, I consider the appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.'

Hebblewhite, from Brighton, wearing a navy suit and cream jumper, broke down in tears and tried to speak to her girlfriend who was supporting her from the public gallery.

The complainant attended the sentencing hearing alone but was supported by a police victim support officer.

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Jared Graham Bassett's vile actions had a 'severe emotional effect' on the victims. A man who committed historic rape offences against two young girls has been locked up for 20 years. A judge branded Jared Graham Bassett's actions as a "campaign" and stated they had scarred his victims who had been aged under 16. Bassett, who had been aged between 18 and 25 at the time, denied the offences but was convicted after a trial. The 38-year-old appeared at Mold Crown Court in Wales on November 5 to be sentenced for a total of 24 sex offences. North Wales Live reports the court heard Bassett began his campaign of offending while living at a North Wales holiday camp. He then continued to carry out his crimes at a variety of addresses across North Wales and abroad until 2007. His actions came to light when one distressed girl alerted a shopkeeper. In a victim impact statement read out by prosecutor Robert Edwards, the older girl - now a woman - told how she was badly affected. She said in giving the statement she "felt like I was a (child) all over again". She has difficulty with relationships and "If someone unexpectedly touches me I have a reflex reaction which is out of proportion." She said no sentence can "give her back her childhood". In her statement, the younger victim, also now grown up, said she had self-harmed by cutting her wrists and drinking but eventually reported the abuse. She had been "relieved to be believed". However, she still has "massive trust issues" with men and women. She added: "Sex feels more like a chore. He (Bassett) has taken that enjoyment and special moment from me." Mark Kelly, defending, said Bassett maintains his innocence. The inevitable prison sentence would have a negative emotional and financial effect on his own young family. The judge, Her Honour Judge Nicola Saffman, noted that one victim who went to the shopkeepers had reported the abuse. But the Crown Prosecution Service had wrongly believed that proceedings would be unsuccessful on the basis of her word alone and so discontinued the case. However, Bassett was eventually arrested and prosecuted for his offences. The judge said it had been a "campaign" of abuse. "You have blighted their childhood and in doing so blighted their adult lives." The serious psychological effects had led his older victim to be "hysterical and distressed" and the younger victim to be "closed off and blunt". She jailed Bassett, now of Station Road, Cogenhoe, Northampton, for 20 years for multiple rapes of the older girl and two rapes of the younger girl. He also received jail terms of between five and 17 years for other sexual offences which will all run concurrently to the longest sentence. Detective Inspector Iolo Edwards of the North Wales Police Amethyst Team said: The investigation team has worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team to present a compelling case at trial and we therefore welcome the sentencing outcome today. Our thoughts remain with the victims in this case and we acknowledge their determination to support the investigation to its conclusion.

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A girl nearly killed herself after being targeted by a rapist described as "every mother's living nightmare".

Christopher McIntyre started chatting to his victim on Instagram then gave her a "secret" mobile phone.

After sending the schoolgirl explicit images, he met up with the child and raped her on three occasions.

Liverpool Crown Court today heard how the girl has since tried to kill herself and once "almost succeeded".

The child's mum described how seeing her daughter lying in a hospital bed made her "break inside".

Recorder Ian Unsworth, QC, told the predatory rapist: "You were every mother's living nightmare."

McIntyre, 35, of Risbury Road, Norris Green, claimed the allegations against him were "sick" and denied any wrongdoing.

He was found guilty of three counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault at a trial in July, after his victim was forced to go through the ordeal of giving evidence.

Sarah Holt, prosecuting, said the girl first chatted to McIntyre on Instagram in 2019, after which he provided her with a "secret phone".

Recorder Unsworth told him that instead of "having nothing to do with it, as you should have done, you sought to fulfil your own selfish and as it transpired predatory needs, by providing her with a secret mobile phone".

The judge said messages McIntyre sent her were "highly inappropriate", as he complimented her on her appearance and sent her explicit photos, and evidence showed he "implored" her to delete them.

Recorder Unsworth - who said the girl was a "highly vulnerable young child" and McIntyre knew this - added: "You were grooming her."

Ms Holt told the court how McIntyre later met the girl and took her to an address where he put on a film then raped her, during which the victim recalled how "she froze, she didn't know what to do and she didn't want this to happen".

The trial heard he raped her on two further occasions, before warning her not to tell anyone, leaving her feeling scared and very upset, before she began self-harming as a way of coping.

Ms Holt said McIntyre then rang the victim, which caused her to break down in front of friends, before she disclosed to them and later her parents and the police what had happened.

The court heard the abuse led to the girl making "a number of attempts on her own life", including "one particularly serious attempt", which her mum gave evidence about.

Recorder Unsworth told McIntyre: "You were every mother's living nightmare."

He said McIntyre behaved in "the most predatory and depraved way" and raped the girl three times "for your own selfish and gratuitous sexual needs".

The judge said McIntyre then "called her a liar and accused her of lying to the authorities and this court".

He said: "You not only turned her world upside down, you almost ended her world."

McIntyre showed no emotion in the dock as Recorder Unsworth continued: "I note from the contents of the pre-sentence report that you remain defiant and whilst your letter to the court expresses the view there are no winners in this, it is in my judgement an entirely self-serving and self-pitying letter."

The judge said the effect on the girl had been "devastating if not catastrophic" as outlined in victim personal statements read in court.

He said: "She has tried to take her own life on several occasions. On one occasion, she almost succeeded.

"There is only one person to blame for this and that is you."

Recorder Unsworth said not only did the victim suffer "severe psychological harm", he was satisfied it was of "an extreme nature".

He said when giving evidence, the child "impressed as an extremely brave young woman".

The judge said: "She was brave to say to the authorities what you had done, she was brave to tell her family what you had done, and anyone reading these statements can only wish her well as she moves on with her life, a life that was almost ended too short because of your actions".

Steven Swift, defending, accepted there had been a "profound and severe impact" upon the victim and her family.

Mr Swift argued an extended sentence wasn't required to protect the public, given the length of time McIntyre would serve if he received a determinate sentence, and that his client - who didn't have any previous convictions for sexual offences - was using his time in jail "productively" and had become an enhanced prisoner.

However, the judge concluded McIntyre was a "dangerous" offender, as defined in law, and that an extended sentence was required to protect the public, in particular girls.

He said in making that decision he had reminded himself of McIntyre's predatory, grooming and "manipulative" behaviour.

Recorder Unsworth jailed McIntyre for 18 years, with an extended four years on licence.

This type of sentence means McIntyre must serve at least two thirds of the custodial term - 12 years - behind bars.

He will then only be released before the end of the sentence if the Parole Board no longer considers him to be a risk and will have to serve an extended licence period.

Recorder Unsworth told McIntyre to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life, which includes a ban on him contacting his victim or her parents.

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Wesley Hedge admitted six counts of indecent assault against a girl he met in the 1970s and was sent to prison for five years A former Salvation Army cadet leader has been jailed over a series of historic sex assaults on a teenager. Wesley Hedge admitted six counts of indecent assault against a girl he had met and groomed in the 1970s. Sheffield Crown Court heard the 71-year-old would touch the teenagers breasts and get her to touch his genitals as well as carry out other sex acts. During a sentencing hearing, his victims impact statement revealed she had not realised she was being groomed at the time and felt she was in love with Hedge. Prosecutor Ian Goldsack told the court that Hedge invited the underage girl to his home while his wife was out and also got her to put his hand on his lap while she sat next to him on a coach trip. Hedge, of Dunkeld Road, Sheffield, was sentenced to five years in prison.

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A man has been convicted of attempted rape following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court.

Daniel Bilan (18.09.93) of Camden, NW5, will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, 21 December.

On Sunday, 4 April, police received a report of an attempted rape which had occurred at a property in Camden.

Officers attended and spoke to the victim, a woman in her 20s, who said she had been attacked by a housemate who had recently moved in.

She was provided with specialist support from officers and taken to a nearby hospital.

She said: "After the trauma and disgust I am facing from the attack, I am very happy with the result of the trial.

"I am hoping this is the start of my journey to recovery from my worst experience created by his actions. Thank you to the Police, CPS and Women's Solace for helping me through the trial and investigation."

Detective Sergeant Joel Gregory, from Central North's Serious Sexual Offence team, said: "The victim in this case showed great courage in providing evidence during the trial which left the jury in no doubt as to Bilan's guilt.

"I would also like to commend her housemate for calling 999 after hearing the attack, allowing us to attend the scene very quickly and arrest Bilan almost immediately.

"We take all reports of sexual offences incredibly seriously and we hope this case shows we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice."

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An electrician who admitted murdering two women in 1987 also sexually attacked scores of corpses in a hospital mortuary in the worst offending of its kind in British legal history, prosecutors say.

David Fuller pleaded guilty to murdering Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in separate attacks in Tunbridge Wells, Kent police said.

The 67-year-old changed his pleas on Thursday partway through his trial at Maidstone crown court, which heard that he sexually assaulted the two women after killing them. He had admitted killing both women but originally pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

His trial heard that he also sexually assaulted women's corpses in the mortuaries at Kent and Sussex hospital and Tunbridge Wells hospital while working there.

Police have detected at least 99 potential victims of Fuller, in what is believed to be the worst case of necrophilia in British legal history.

Before his murder trial, he pleaded guilty to 51 other offences, including 44 charges relating to 78 victims identified who were attacked in mortuaries, which he had access to through his work as an electrician. The attacks on the corpses are believed to have been committed between 2008 and November 2020.

In footage released by Kent police of Fuller's interview with detectives, he says: "I want to admit … I am admitting the offences but I don't really want to go into detail."

When Fuller's home was raided police discovered 4m images of sexual abuse. Most were downloaded from the internet, but Fuller had also recorded himself abusing bodies.

The CPS said Fuller's necrophilia was unprecedented in British legal history: "Searches of Fuller's home following his arrest uncovered hard drives concealed in a hide in his home, revealing evidence of prolific sexual offending of a kind no British court has seen before.

"Between 2008 and 2020, Fuller had filmed and photographed himself sexually abusing the bodies of dozens of women and girls at two Tunbridge Wells hospital mortuaries he was able to access through his job as the maintenance supervisor."

Knell was found dead in her apartment with severe injuries in Guildford Road on 23 June 1987. Pierce was killed five months later, on 24 November, outside her home in Grosvenor Park. Neighbours described hearing screams from her flat on the night in question, the court heard on Monday. She was reported missing, and her body was later discovered in a water-filled dyke at St Mary-in-the-Marsh on 15 December 1987. DNA evidence from both women's bodies linked Fuller to their killings.

There were reports of "prowler activity" in the lead-up to both women's deaths, with local people reporting a voyeur looking through their windows.

Fuller was arrested for murder on 3 December last year after new analysis of decades-old DNA evidence, and officers searched his home. There they found images of dead women at the two hospital mortuaries being abused by Fuller, the prosecutor, Duncan Atkinson QC, said on Monday.

Officers then found four hard drives with 5TB of data storage in total attached to the back of a cupboard. "When these hard drives were examined, they were found to contain a library of unimaginable sexual depravity," Atkinson said.

In a police interview, Fuller admitted to using Facebook to search for photos of the people he abused in the mortuary.

In relation to identifying and naming the files containing images of his offending against dead people, he said he had gone back to name them at a later stage, using the ledgers from the mortuary and identification tags on the bodies, Atkinson said.

He added: "He admitted to searching for them on the internet, including on Facebook. He claimed that this would be after the offending, rather than research before offending."

Atkinson said these images provided evidence that Fuller committed the acts out of "sexual gratification" and not mental illness.

The home secretary, Priti Patel, said she hoped the victims' families could "find some solace in seeing justice finally done". Describing the case as shocking, she added: "The sickening nature of the crimes committed will understandably cause public revulsion and concern."

Libby Clark, of the CPS, said: "This highly dangerous man has inflicted unimaginable suffering on countless families and he has only admitted his long-held secrets when confronted with overwhelming evidence.

"I have no doubt he would still be offending to this day had it not been for this painstaking investigation and prosecution."

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said the NHS had written to all health trusts asking for mortuary access and postmortem activities to be reviewed. An independent review has started at the trust where Fuller worked and the Human Tissue Authority has been asked for advice on whether rules need to be changed.

A date for Fuller's sentencing has not yet been set.

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A rapist took a mum out on a first date just hours before "crawling like a monster" into her teenage daughter's bed and raping her.

Matthew Philbin and the woman went bowling before heading back to her home for a few drinks when he briefly met her child.

But later that night, he said he was going to the toilet but instead crept into his victim's bedroom and attacked her.

Liverpool Crown Court heard this morning that Philbin, of Dukinfield Farm, Warrington, took his victim's mum out earlier this year but later took advantage of her inviting him back to her home to carry out the booze and coke-fuelled attack.

After briefly meeting his victim, who then went to bed in the evening, Philbin continued his date with her mother at their home - but interviews with police would later state that he went upstairs numerous times "to nose around" the upper floors of the house.

At that time, after he drinking heavily and taking cocaine, he went up to the child's room at the top of the house, walked to her bed and began to crawl on top of her.

She described Philbin as looking like a monster as he attacked her, grabbing her hair and trying to pull off her clothes.

The teenager fought back, kicking him in an attempt to stop him from raping her, but Philbin continued to climb on top of her and threatened to shoot her if she screamed further.

He made her get out of bed and use her phone's torch so he could look at her as he carried out the vile attack, which left her with numerous injuries to her face and head.

When her mother, who had become suspicious of Philbin's absence, heard her screams and rushed to her room he told his victim "to pretend it was all a bad dream" and that it had not really happened.

Her mother immediately saw how distressed her daughter was and managed to get Philbin into the back garden.

Prosecuting, Lee Bonner said: "He was subsequently locked in the back garden wearing only his shorts and socks.

"He had damaged the back door trying to re-enter the house.

"In her statement after the attack the victim's mother described how she felt it was her fault for letting him in the house."

Philbin would deny the attack in interviews with police but later pleaded guilty.

Simeon Evans, defending, said there was little to mitigate the "shocking and appalling" attack - but said that Philbin's attack had been driven by the drugs and drink in his system and that he now understood the disturbing nature of his crime.

He said: "Whilst he does not seek to blame the substances for this case, it was clearly a factor.

"That is perhaps something your honour could take into account, as well as that he has no previous offences of a similar nature."

Calling Philbin a "predatory, violent and determined rapist", Judge Driver jailed him for 13 years, eight of which he will serve in prison with an extended five years on licence.

Addressing the sobbing Philbin, who appeared over video link over HMP Altcourse, the judge told him he only pleaded guilty when presented with "overwhelming evidence" and said: "I am unconvinced that your expressions of remorse are genuine."

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Police have welcomed the prison sentence handed to a former prison officer who sexually abused two schoolgirls after he was finally brought to justice.

Pervert John Saunders indecently assaulted his first victim in the mid-1990s but was not prosecuted despite the young victim reporting his abuse.

However, he then preyed on another schoolgirl in 2018 and when she reported the abuse the following year the previous matter was re-opened.

Saunders, of Liverpool Road, Cross Heath, Newcastle, had denied two charges of indecent assault and one charge of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration but was convicted of all three offences by a jury in October.

The 68-year-old was locked up for 13 years with an extended two years licence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court last week.

Welcoming the sentence, DC Gary Cliffe, of Staffordshire Police, said: I am delighted with the sentence handed to Saunders and we hope this sentence is a reminder that we will continue to do whatever it takes to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice no matter how long ago these attacks took place."

Saunders must serve half of the custodial term - six-and-a-half years - before he can be considered for release by the parole board. After his release he will serve the rest of the total 15 year sentence on licence. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

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Shaun Cushing used Snapchat with the username 'tbundy4910' as he sent sexually charged messages to a decoy 13-year-old A toe-sucking paedophile was caught out when he told a police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl about his bizarre kink. Former RAF employee Shaun Cushing gave himself the Snapchat username tbundy4910 as a nod to notorious serial killer Ted Bundy while also using the Kik screen name I love teen cream. Sheffield Crown Court heard the 37-year-old had already been convicted of child sex offences in 2018 and chatted with the decoy teen for seven days in March. Cushing was remanded in custody in April and when he was quizzed by detectives, he told them he didnt like children because they were noisey, prosecutor Andrew Semple said. Mr Semple added that Cushing, from Mexborough, lied about his age and location and told the police officer posing as the underage teen that he was 21 years old and from Manchester. Cushing sent multiple sexualised messages despite being told about her age and references to a school uniform being made. Mr Semple also told the court that Cushing dropped in a reference to liking to suck toes as a kink. When Cushing was arrested, he had a hard drive and computer seized and forensic investigators found 11 category A indecent images of a child, one of category B and one of category C. He admitted three counts of making indecent images, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Cushing, who wore a white t-shirt and glass as he appeared via videolink from HMP Doncaster, had carried out these offences having been made subject of a three-year community order and five-year sexual harm prevention order at Winchester Crown Court in 2018. Judge Peter Kelson told Cushing, of Uttoxeter Avenue, he had clearly learnt nothing from the sex offenders treatment programme he had embarked on following his conviction three years ago. Cushing was sentenced to three years in prison and made the subject of a new sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. He will also be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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Police have released a mugshot of a sex beast who was jailed for 10 years after being convicted of raping a woman.

Ryan Cartner carried out the horrific attack in the woman's own home after he asked her to give him alcohol and prescription drugs.

The 37-year-old victim - who is over 20 years his senior - begged him to stop as he raped her - only to be ignored.

And when he had finished he threatened to attack her family and kill her pets if she told anyone.

Cartner, of Derwent Place, Cross Heath, was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after a jury rejected his claim that the sex had been consensual during the 2019 ordeal.

Her was handed a 10-year prison sentence for the rape, and eight years concurrent for a separate charge of another serious sexual offence during the same incident. He was also convicted of stealing alcohol and prescription medicine from his victim.

Welcoming the sentence, DC Sarah Clancy, of Staffordshire Police, said: This was undoubtedly a traumatic ordeal for the woman concerned and I cannot praise her enough for the courage and bravery she has shown in coming forward and reporting what happened to her.

I hope this conviction reassures our local community that sexual offences are taken seriously and that officers will work tirelessly to seek justice.

Cartner was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was also given a restraining order for life.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Paul Glenn told Cartner: "You went to her house and asked if you could have some alcohol. You then repaid her for her generosity by pushing her onto the sofa and raping her. She told you to stop but you ignored her."

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A FORMER Team GB gymnast from Basingstoke who walked free from court after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a drunk woman has had his sentence referred to the Attorney General for review as 'unduly lenient'.

Alexander Hicken, of Loggon Road, in Cranbourne, was found guilty in August following a trial at Winchester Crown Court, where it was heard that he abused a vulnerable woman after bragging to friends "I'm going to **** her".

The 23-year-old, who used to be a coach at Basingstoke Gymnastic Club, preyed on his intoxicated victim after she was put to bed at a party because she was drunk.

Hicken, a tumbling coach, who had a girlfriend at the time, ignored the woman's demands to stop during the eight-hour ordeal and repeatedly sexually touched her.

He was handed a suspended sentence of 21 months in prison in October, meaning he walked free from court.

Now, the Attorney General has been asked to review his 'unduly lenient' sentence.

Members of the public can ask the Attorney General's office to examine sentences handed down by crown courts in England and Wales within 28 days of sentencing, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme (ULS).

The Attorney General then has the power to refer sentences for certain offences which they believe to be unduly lenient to the Court of Appeal.

Information on the government website for the Attorney General's office states that they must "consider the case personally and decide whether a particular sentence is unduly lenient".

The Attorney General's office confirmed that it has received a referral for Hicken's sentence and that the law officers now have 28 days to consider the case.

Hicken, who represented the junior Team GB at Loule Gymnastic World Cup in Portugal in 2012, was aged 21 at the time of the assault and escaped an immediate prison sentence after the judge said his age was taken into consideration.

In court, the victim said Hicken "abused me, my body and my trust" and said the attack had led her to become depressed, suffer from anxiety and have suicidal thoughts.

In a statement read to the court, she said: "I can say with all certainty this assault has changed my life 100 per cent.

"I blame myself constantly for what happened... since this occasion I will never drink to excess, I don't like the idea of not being in control.

"Since this happened I have nightmares where I think Alex is sitting at the end of my bed. I often find myself looking around my room to check he isn't there."

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A serial rapist who subjected his victims to horrific violence has been given a life sentence after he admitted treating women like pieces of meat. Craig Gladwin, 32, from Selby, strangled one woman to the point of unconsciousness during a wicked campaign of rape, Hull Crown Court heard. Gladwin, described as manipulative and cocky, raped the three women in separate incidents at properties in Selby and Goole. Gladwin wrapped his belt around the neck of one victim, said prosecutor Mark Kellet. The victim was unwell at the time having gone through a personal tragedy. She initially kept quiet about the rape because she didnt want to relive the incident in the summer of 2018. In September that year, Gladwin raped a second woman who was strangled until she lost consciousness. When she came round, he told her: Youre not leaving this house alive. Attacked while on bail Gladwin, whose former marriage had collapsed, was arrested and released under investigation or on bail, but in January 2020 he raped another woman whom he met online. Before raping her, Gladwin grabbed hold of her as she tried to get away and told her: Well, to be honest with you, I may as well rape you: Im off to prison anyway. The victim described Gladwin as a wicked, scary man. She reported him to police and he was arrested again. In custody, he was quizzed about allegations made by all three victims but made vehement denials. One of the women none of whom can be named for legal reasons said she was now scared to go out and had stopped seeing her friends. She was still having nightmares about Gladwin and was now on medication. Another victim said she had deteriorated mentally since her ordeal and had to take three months off work due to her injuries. She had suffered such acute anxiety that she ended up moving house. She suffered nightmares and had three years of pain, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Her social life was now just about non-existent. She said she was horrified to discover that Gladman was still living as a free man when he went on to rape a third woman. Severe impact on victims Gladman a father-of-two who has a previous conviction for assaulting a police officer and two cautions for ABH and battery ultimately admitted three counts of rape on the day his trial was due to be held in March, along with two counts of damaging property. He denied two other rape allegations one against another named woman and one of sexual assault. These allegations were allowed to lie on court file. Gladman, of Londesborough Street, appeared for sentence on Monday after being remanded in custody. Lewis Allan Kerr, mitigating, said Gladman had behaved abominably but had anger, alcohol and mental-health issues. A pre-sentence probation report noted that Gladman had had a perfect childhood, but he told officers that after his marriage ended, he wanted to have some fun and that he treated women as pieces of meat. Recorder Richard Woolfall said it was the worst case of its kind that he had dealt with during his 10 years on the bench. He noted Gladmans willingness to use violence to get what he wants and the severe psychological impact on the victims who had experienced terrifying, violent and prolonged ordeals. He said Gladwin had shown a total disregard for the (criminal) case, while his demeanour in the dock suggested he couldnt have cared less. You see (women) as sex things to meet your needs, as opposed to people with feelings, added Mr Woolfall. I consider your behaviour is so serious and manipulative and persistent that the risk you present will have to be managed for the rest of your life. Mr Woolfall imposed a determinate jail sentence of 17-and-a-half years but told Gladman he would have to serve at least two-thirds of that behind bars, adding that he could spend the rest of your life in prison. It would be down to the Parole Board to decide if and when Gladman was safe to be released after serving the minimum term and he would remain on prison licence for life, with strict conditions, should he ever be set free. Gladwin remained expressionless as he was led down to the cells by prison guards.

Description

A BUILDER who sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl on his way to pick up a toolkit from Screwfix has been sent to prison. Martin Collins, formerly of Lower Henley Road, Caversham, was locked up after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 back in April. A court heard how the builder has been ostracized by his friends and his home has been graffitied following his convictions. And now he is facing three years behind bars after being sentenced for his offences at Reading Crown Court. The 66-year-old abused the seven-year-old girl on two occasions over the 2019/2020 Christmas period. In the first instance, Collins was found to have touched the girls genitals over her clothes while she was sitting on his lap. On the second occasion, the girl was sitting in the front passenger seat of Collins car when they were on their way to Screwfix to pick up a toolkit. It was here in the car that Collins again touched the girls genitals over her clothes. Reading a statement from the girls mother, prosecutor Simon Walters said the girls personality has changed since the incidents. He said: Her anger outbursts are extreme. She can become angry over the smallest of things. She will kick, shout and scream. She no longer trusts people and does not have normal interactions with people. She has nightmares and recently she said she didnt want to go back to the area where the [Screwfix] store is located. She is not the girl she was two years ago. These incidents will affect my daughter for a very long time to come. Defending, Lyall Thompson argued there was no evidence to suggest Collins manipulated the girl to engineer his being along with her. He claimed Collins has suffered since the court trial in April, losing all his friends and his house has been graffitied. Sentencing, his honour Judge Edward Burgess told Collins he was in a position of trust when he committed the offences. Collins was sentenced to three years imprisonment for two counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. His name will be on the sex offenders register for ten years. Collins was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday, November 1.

Description

A dad-of-five arranged to meet an 11-year-old girl for sex after grooming her online.

However unknown to Peter Bancroft the girl did not actually exist and a fictitious profile had been set up for her by the paedophile hunting group, Stop UK.

65-year-old Bancroft - who was later found to have child sex abuse images on his mobile phone - began chatting to Sally Smith on Facebook on June 17 this year after describing her profile picture as "lovely".

Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting said: "The decoy made it clear she was eleven years old and repeated this during conversations."

Bancroft quickly brought the conversations around to sexual matters and "asked if she wanted to know about sex. He described penetrative sex. He said he had had sex with three virgins".

Mr Wyn Jones said the granddad sent her a picture of himself and his car and asked her to send him a postcode so they could meet.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Monday, November 1) that he arranged to meet her at 11am on July 11 but when he arrived at the destination in Oldham members of Stop UK were waiting for him.

He told them: I have only been chatting with her."

They contacted the police who arrested him and in interview he said "his intention was to meet her and take her for a walk and claimed he did not intend to the sex.

"He said the messages were intended to warn her about sex with boys."

Bancroft, of Eccleston Avenue, Bromborough, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

He also had seven offences involving possessing indecent images of children in all three categories of seriousness and extreme pornography.

Jailing him for three years and nine months Judge Andrew Menary, QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said: "You asked her if she wanted to know about sex.

"You went on to describe sex acts, including penetrative sex, to what you believed was an 11-year-old girl."

Judge Menary told Bancroft that he drove to Oldham for the purpose of having sex with the child though he pretended he just wanted to go for a walk with her.

He added: "It is clear from the nature of the messages that your sole intention was to groom what you believed was a young girl and corrupt her into having sexual intercourse with you."

Judge Menary described the age difference as enormous and said that it was clear from the author of a pre-sentence report the defendant "was struggling to recognise the significance of what you had done".

Judge Menary said: "I hope as a consequence of work done with you in prison when you will realise the very serious nature of this intended activity.

"The seriousness of it cannot be overstated."

He ordered Bancroft, who was described by a probation officer as being "a high risk to children", to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

John Weate, defending, said: "His major mitigation is his guilty plea, although it was not entered at the first opportunity at the magistrates court."

He said that Bancroft, who has no similar convictions, recognises he will have to undertake work while in prison to address his offending behaviour.

Mr Weate also told the court that the defendant has health problems and added: "He has a large number of children and grandchildren but has no contact with them."

He said that after Bancrofts arrest "some people made it public knowledge and his property was ransacked and all his belongings have gone".