Search results for Norwich

Description

A paedophile who was involved in a village pub fight in which another man died went on to be jailed for 24 years for horrific child sex offences.

Roland Wiles twice stood trial for manslaughter over the death of Dale Jackson, 58, following a violent confrontation outside of the Suffield Arms in Thorpe Market in north Norfolk in September 2021.

It is understood that the row had its roots in accusations and rumours which were circulating about Wiles’ offending.

The 50-year-old was this week cleared by a jury at Norwich Crown Court after just one hour and 43 minutes of deliberations. 

Restrictions had been imposed to prevent the reporting of the link between his sexual offences and the manslaughter trial to avoid the jury learning the details of his sordid past 

Following his acquittal, the restrictions have been lifted and we can now exclusively reveal the unravelling of the row.

Wiles, of Mill Street, Norwich, was branded a “monster” when he was sentenced last November to a total of 25 years - made up of 24 in jail and 12 months on licence.    

His “outwardly respectable life” was a façade that hid a “deeply disturbing and darker side”, the court had heard.

He was found guilty of the repeated rape, sexual assault and molestation of three young girls and a boy with the offences dating back almost 30 years to 1996 and continuing until 2022.

Summing up the evidence in the manslaughter trial, Judge Alice Robinson said he had told police that during the confrontation Mr Jackson had approached his vehicle gesturing aggressively, swearing and telling him “you’re disgusting”.  

Wiles admitted getting out and saying “what’s your problem?” but denied he had been angry or had intended to act aggressively.

The prosecution had claimed he had not been acting in self defence when he punched Mr Jackson and rendered him "unconscious on his feet".

The blow caused him to fall backward and he hit his head on the ground resulting in serious injuries.

Wiles told police he had thought “oh s***” after he saw blood coming from Mr Jackson’s ears as he lay unconscious on the ground and had got back in his car in shock. 

Witnesses had described Mr Jackson being punched and his head hitting the ground with a sound like a “coconut hitting concrete”.

The father-of-two from Cromer was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital but died six days after sustaining his fatal injuries. 

Following him being cleared of manslaughter, Judge Robinson told him would face no further action over the death but that he was being returned to prison to continue his “very lengthy sentence”.

'MONSTER' WHO LIVED SEEMINGLY RESPECTABLE LIFE

Wiles' sexual offending spanned a quarter of a century from the summer of 1996 to his arrest in April 2023.

The attack outside of the Suffield Arms happened more than a year-and-a-half prior to his arrest.

His trial heard his first victim was aged either four or five when she was raped by Wiles who then lived in a bungalow on a farm in the Norfolk area.

The girl had been in a “panic” and “didn’t know what to do” after the rape, which signalled the start of a catalogue of abuse against her and three other victims.

Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Bate said he was a “serial sex offender”.

In total he was convicted of 26 sexual offences including six counts of rape, three of indecent assault of a girl aged under 13 as well as inciting sexual activity in children.

One of his victims told his sentencing hearing he was a “monster” who had “caused so much destruction and heartbreak”.

The male victim said he had “grown up knowing nothing other than sexual abuse” and that the mental trauma had caused him to try to kill himself several times.

Description

A man confronted by paedophile hunters has admitted attempting to groom a teenage girl online.

Shaun Pardon, 54, believed he was chatting to a 13-year-old, but it was in fact a decoy account set up by adults to catch and hunt down online child sex offenders.

He was confronted at his home by members of the group, with video footage of the encounter then posted online. 

Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told he had begun messaging the profile in December 2023 stating “hello gorgeous” and had continued contacting it, despite being told the girl he was talking to was supposedly aged just 13.  

Sarah Fiddy, prosecuting, said in other messages he had asked: “Do you want to play a sex game?” 

He had sent an image of his penis, despite the decoy account talking about her day at school and saying that she needed to go to bed early. 

On other occasions he asked to see her naked.

Pardon, of Kingfisher Road in Sprowston, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child over a two week period between December 31, 2023 and January 19, 2024.

He also admitted possession of cannabis.

The footage of him being confronted by members of the online group sees him stating: “I’m only talking to that one. I talk to her now and again.” 

He denied knowing the age of the girl despite being confronted with evidence of various chats in which she talked about school, after-school clubs and made other references that made it clear just how young she supposedly was. 

Deputy District Judge Charlotte Hart ordered a pre-sentence report to consider all options including immediate custody. 

She told him: “I do not rule out committing you to the crown court to be sentenced but that is not my starting point. There is a very strong likelihood you will have to sign the sex offenders register.”  

He will be sentenced on February 20.

Description

A convicted sex offender suggested he and a teenage girl - who turned out to be an adult decoy - watch Harry Potter before embarking on a sexual relationship, a court has heard.

Sean Denniston, who has a previous conviction for a child sex offence, repeatedly messaged who he thought was a 14-year-old on Facebook despite telling her he had a fiancee.

Norwich Crown Court heard the 34-year-old and the decoy exchanged selfies with each other before Denniston went on to suggest they meet up and see a Harry Potter film and also visit "Harry Potter land".

Lynne Shirley, prosecuting, said Denniston told the decoy they should meet up in Walcott where he lived as part of repeated communication which went on for five weeks.

She said Denniston told the girl they should keep their communication a "secret" telling her she should say she was a "friend of his niece" if she was asked by his partner.

Denniston asked her if she would have sex with him and suggested they do it when her mother was not at her home in Norwich.

He asked her if she would be "up for it" and told her he would be "gentle".

Miss Shirley said on July 16 this year members of the paedophile hunter group attended his address and alerted police.

Denniston, of Norwich, appeared in court for sentencing on Friday having admitted attempted sexual communication with a child between June and July this year.

He also admitted being in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Jailing him for 30 months, Recorder Paul Garlick said these were "serious offences" made more serious by his previous offences.

Lori Tucker, mitigating, said Denniston, who deserved credit for plea, had a problem with alcohol - which was at the root of his offending - and has suffered from non-epileptic seizures.

She said as it was an adult decoy Denniston had been communicating there was no actual risk of harm.

But she accepted there must be some harm as Denniston thought he was dealing with a child.

Denniston was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Description

The former director of a Norfolk crane hire company is on the run after fleeing the country weeks before he was found guilty of multiple child sex offences, it can be revealed.

Oliver Arnold, 49, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment after being convicted following a trial in his absence last week.

The former boss of Norwich-based Quinto Cranes fled to France earlier this year, before his trial began, and is believed to still be there.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest and he will also face charges of absconding on bail, once he is caught and brought back to the UK.

Arnold, who was in charge of Quinto when it went into administration in 2022, was convicted last week of three counts of penetrative sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

He was also found guilty of one offence of non-penetrative activity with a child and sexual communication with a child - both against the same victim.

Arnold, formerly of Swaffham Road, Wendling, near Dereham, had denied all five offences, which took place against the same victim in Norfolk between August and December 2022.

But jurors at King's Lynn Crown Court took just minutes to reach their guilty verdicts last week.

Judge Andrew Shaw told them Arnold had fled to France and was still believed to be there.

Police say Arnold - who did not attend his pre-trial review in May - entered the country via Calais in the early hours of May 9.

Quinto Crane and Plant, which was based on Anson Road, near Norwich Airport, operated from eight locations including Ipswich and Chelmsford.

It was acquired by Arnold in 2014 and went into administration in April 2022, with the loss of 50 jobs.

The firm, which has sites across East Anglia, was founded in 1966 but its roots go back to the late 1950s, to the Norwich-based Pointer Group.

Speaking to this newspaper in 2014 when he acquired Quinto, Arnold said: There will be a few changes but it will carry on as Quinto and I will be looking to take on new staff and expand.

"It needs some investment to move the business forward. The important thing is that the jobs are secure.

'It is a massive investment for us but the business has a fantastic reputation and a successful name."

At the time, the company boasted an annual turnover of 7m, but Mr Arnold said he was confident it would hit 10m by the following year.

Its name - from the Latin quintus, or fifth - reflects the fact that the original company comprised of five locations - Peterborough, King's Lynn, Norwich, Ipswich, and Chelmsford - and five directors.

Andrew Thompson appeared for the prosecution during the trial which took place in Lynn from Tuesday, July 9 to Thursday, July 11.

OH HOW THE MIGHTY FALLS

A former Quinto employee described Arnold as a "show off" who was not well liked by many who worked for him.

The worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said "not many of us liked him (Arnold)" when he took over the company as he was a "show off and jack the lad and didn't really have much care".

He said former staff were aware he had been charged and were "all waiting for this day so he gets his comeuppance".

The worker said: "Oh, how the mighty falls."

He said he was "not surprised" Arnold had gone on the run, insisting he was "not even man enough to admit what he's done and has had to do a runner".

The worker added that he wanted to see Arnold "get what he deserves" and hoped police were able to catch up with him.

Description

A man has been jailed for almost a decade after he outlined his depraved sexual fantasies online to an undercover police officer.

Dean Ward, 39, described how he was abusing his eight-year-old daughter, though the child did not actually exist.

He also talked about the abuse he "wanted to happen" to the child and to the undercover officer's six-year-old daughter, who also did not exist.

Norwich Crown Court heard there was "extremely graphic and deeply disturbing" conversations between the two of them, including the rape of both imaginary children.

Danielle O'Donovan, prosecuting, said Ward, whose previous convictions include sexual assault and making indecent images of children, discussed in detail the rape of the girl and other fantasies.

Ward, who has five previous convictions for more than 20 offences, appeared for sentencing on Tuesday via videolink from HMP Norwich after admitting arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence on June 5, 2023.

He also admitted three breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) between May and June 2023.

Recorder Matthew Happold said Ward, of Barrett Road, Norwich, had engaged in "extremely unpleasant discussion" about "damaging, abusive acts" and "including the rape of both children".

Imposing an extended 13-year-sentence, made up of nine-and-a-half-years imprisonment and three-and-a-half years on licence, Recorder Happold said it was a "very serious offence".

Andrew Thompson, mitigating, said there was "never a real child".

He said there was no meeting and there could not have been as the child was "fictional".

Mr Thompson said Ward, who "never had a child" and "does not have a daughter" had been engaged in conversations about a "sexual fantasy" with the undercover officer who had also been talking about a non-existent child.

He said Ward was an "isolated" and "socially awkward" individual who "operated behind a keyboard in his bedroom".

Ward was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Description

A man who began sexually assaulting a girl when she was aged just 10 has been jailed. 

Ryan Hunt, 28, was told he had exploited the girl’s vulnerabilities for his gratification as he was sentenced to three years and three months.

Norwich Crown Court was told he had been aged 16 when he grabbed the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sexually assaulting her and laughing.  

In a separate charge, he also had sex with a child on the eve of her 13th birthday and this had continued, the court heard. 

Hunt, of The Green, Freethorpe, near Cantley, had denied offences including sexual assault of a child under 13 between 2008 and 2012, and sexual activity with a child between 2014 and 2015. 

He was found guilty by a jury after a trial. 

Sentencing him to three years and three months, Judge Katharine Moore told him: “There was a disparity in age, power and circumstances between you. 

“Your victim was desperate for affection and you played upon this for your gratification.” 

As a result of his conviction, Hunt is also banned from working with children and vulnerable adults. 

Description

A convicted sex offender failed to tell police of his whereabouts while living in a tent on the streets of Norwich.

Jon Hannon, 36, is required to inform police where he was living after being placed on the sex offenders register for life following a conviction in 2014.  

Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told that when someone is homeless they are required to update police about their location every week.   

But the whereabouts of Hannon was not been known after he failed to keep police informed while living in a tent in April this year and on a second occasion when he was evicted from a homeless hostel.

Sally Harris, prosecuting, said: “You will appreciate how important it is for an offender of this type that the police do know exactly where he is residing.”

Hannon pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements.

He also admitted breaching a 24 week suspended prison sentence imposed after he was convicted for actual bodily harm in March.

The court was told he has 10 previous convictions for 19 offences including other breaches of court orders. 

Jonathan Perkins, mitigating, said on both occasions when he failed to notify police he had found himself abruptly homeless.

“Normally when a person is subject to notification orders they have annual sign-ins but when a person is homeless they are subject to a weekly notification with the police even if their tent is pitched in the same area as it was the week before,” he said. 

“So we have the unfortunate situation where those with the most unstable and precarious lives, who are generally the most vulnerable, have a burden that weighs on them 52 times more heavily than those with a place they can call their own.”  

Hannon was fined £240 and told to pay costs of £166. 

Magistrates told him: “Regardless of it being a burden, you must report to the police whether you like it or not.” 

Description

Abuse suffered by a boy more than 40 years ago was discovered after his abuser discussed it with prison workers while in jail for other sexual offences, a court has heard.

Barry Harmer, 55, had been serving an extended 15 year sentence after being convicted of indecent assaults and the rape of a girl when he opened up to a key worker in 2015 about previous offending as part of a course aimed to help rehabilitate him.

Norwich Crown Court heard the conversation was "disclosed to police" with Harmer initially stating he would be "happy to speak to them" although he later "refused to engage with police when they saw him in prison".

Stephen Spence, prosecuting, said the victim had not wanted to speak to police back in 2015 but in 2021 contacted police and was interviewed.

Harmer, currently of HMP Bure, near Coltishall, appeared at court having previously admitted four counts of indecent assault on a male and one offence of indecency with a child.

The offences occurred in Norfolk against one male victim between July 1982 and July 1987.

Mr Spence said Harmer began the offending when he was 14, and the victim was 11 and carried on until the defendant was 18 or 19.

Mr Spence said the abuse had "a huge and long-lasting effect upon" the victim and "his mental state".

Imposing an extended 10-year sentence, made up of five years and four months in prison and four years and eight months on extended licence, Judge Andrew Shaw said Harmer "systematically and persistently" abused the victim and was "clearly extremely dangerous".

Azza Brown, mitigating, said the court is "dealing with a person who was a child" himself at the start of the offending.

She said he had been living in an "abusive" and "emotionally neglected" household without support and was himself vulnerable.

Harmer has already been put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

Speaking after sentence, Detective Constable Victoria McDowell said: "I would like to commend Harmer’s victim, who has been extremely brave throughout this investigation.

“This sentence ensures a dangerous man is kept in prison and I hope the result provides his victim with some closure.”

Description

A victim of a serial sex offender jailed for 21 years for offences against nine people has been awarded 77,000 damages after his criminal injuries case was reopened more than 25 years later.

The man, now 42, was sexually abused between the ages of 13 and 15 by Colin Waterfield, of Norwich, who was sent to prison aged 70 in 2017 having being found guilty of rape and sex assaults on eight children and an adult.

Norwich Crown Court heard how the pensioner had been investigated in the 1990s for the sexual abuse of boys, but no charges were brought. The case was reopened in 2013.

Following Waterfields conviction, the victim was advised by police to seek a medical reopening of his case with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which had previously awarded him just 1,000 damages in 1996, when his mother had made an application.

Now the Norwich man has been awarded a further 77,000 in damages based on being classed in the severe category of sexual abuse crimes.

His continuing struggles with severe anxiety and depression, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which have left him unable to work for close to 10 years, were taken into consideration.

The man, who cannot be named, also continues to suffer from flashbacks and has had suicidal thoughts, and for a periods of time has been left homeless and dependent on alcohol and drugs.

Now living with his partner, the man - who has become a father - said: "Nothing can ever take away what happened to me, but this compensation award will make a big difference for me and my family as everything has been a struggle.

It will help us pay the bills, heat the home and take some of the pressure off us, pressure which all stems from the continuing impact of what happened to me.

It obviously cant change the past, but it is some recognition of the impact on my life, and some form of closure too.

Medical reopening of the case allowed for new evidence to be considered, including a report from a clinical psychologist who highlighted persistent and disabling symptoms linked to the offences against him.

Rebecca Pick, a specialist in making claims for compensation to the CICA who worked on representations on the man's behalf by Hudgell Solicitors, said: "This award is far from an end for him, it never is for anyone who has suffered such horrific abuse.

"However, he has moved to try to have a fresh start with his partner and child, and we hope this helps give him that.

Description

A 72-year-old man is facing the next 18 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple historic sexual offences against children.

In the late 1980s to 1990, Keith Gilding, 72, of Dale Road, Dereham, abused two children, committing a total of 14 offences.

One of the victims suffered abuse repeatedly into their teens, including rape.

A second was indecently assaulted while they were still a young child.

One of the victims spoke of how it had affected them throughout their life and relationships, that they didn’t even "like cuddling", even when they became a parent, they could not show their emotions, adding: "I have flashbacks still to this day".

A second victim said it impacted on their teenage years, where they began drinking alcohol to try to forget their feelings. It was only becoming parent that helped them to turn things around but they still suffered flashbacks. 

One of the victims called police to report the abuse in June 2020 while the second contacted officers the following month.

Gilding was arrested on July 16, 2020. 

 Gilding was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape, two counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 13 and two further serious sexual acts.

He was sentenced to 18 years in prison at Norwich Crown Court with one year to be served on licence. 

DC Emma Beck said: “The sentence will hopefully go some way to seeking justice for his victims. As an adult, Gilding was in a position of trust which he abused.

“These crimes had a lasting impact on the victims, their relationships and quality of their lives. We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to report or seek help.” 

Description

A man snared by online paedophile hunters posing as 13 and 14-year-old girls has been jailed.

Jamie Overson, 37, groomed what he believed were young girls but were in fact members of a group known as Phoenix Guardians of the Innocent.

Norwich Crown Court heard he communicated with three profiles on Whatsapp, encouraging them to carry out sex acts on themselves and send him pictures.

During online chats during April and May 2021 he shared naked and indecent images of himself with a profile purporting to be a 13-year-old called Charlotte telling her “do not let anyone else see it”.

And another occasion he asked a 13-year-old called Darcey whether she would like to meet up with him in Blackpool. 

The former binman, who now works as a forklift driver, also indulged in obscene chats with what he believed was a 14-year-old called Jade.

He was eventually confronted by members of the paedophile hunter group at his home at Northumberland Street in Norwich. 

 The encounter was streamed live on Facebook and posted on the group’s website. He was arrested by police on June 12 after information was passed to police.  

He pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

He also admitted making indecent photographs of a child.

Prosecutors told the court investigations had unearthed evidence of further online chats with profiles of young girls called Abby and Kim, which may have been real teenage girls.

He also attempted to lure one of these to meet him in person in Blackpool.

Jailing him for three years and three months, Judge Alice Robinson imposed a 10 year sexual harm prevent order.

She told Overson he posed a danger to children because of the “rapid escalation in your online conversations including attempts to meet up”.

Matthew McNiff, mitigating, said Overson was a “simple and rather inadequate man” who had an inability to communicate.

“He doesn’t have any friends and leads a rather insular life, living with his mother,” he added. 

Description

A "dangerous" convicted sex offender who thought he was communicating with teenage girls had been exchanging messages with "decoys" from a paedophile hunter group, a court has heard.

Paul Stone, 50, sent sexual messages online and via WhatsApp to what he thought were two girls under 16.

In fact, they were members of a group of paedophile hunters, who passed the messages on to police, who arrested him.

Norwich Crown Court heard Stone, of Jewson Road, off Palmer Road in the city had been communicating with the decoys between September 1 and September 12, 2022.

Jamie Sawyer, prosecuting, said Stone, a registered sex offender who was being managed by Norfolk Constabulary's public protection unit, had encouraged the decoys to engage in sexual activity and sent pictures and videos of himself to them as well.

He said the "most troubling" aspect of the case involved his previous convictions, which included indecent images offences in 2012 and attempted sexual communication with a child from March this year.

Stone appeared for sentence on Wednesday (November 9) having previously admitted two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, against one victim between September 1 and September 12.

He had also pleaded guilty to another offence of attempting to cause or incite a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, against another girl between the same dates.

In addition, Stone had pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements between March 31, 2022, and September 12, 2022, as well as three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) between the same dates.

Passing an extended sentence of eight years and eight months made up of five years and eight months custody and three years on licence, Judge Alice Robinson said it had been "serious" offending.

Judge Robinson said it was a "particular concern" that he "fell into old habits" and as a result of his "continued and persistent sexual offending" regarded him as a "dangerous" offender who was a significant risk of serious harm to children as a result of sexual offending by him.

Michael Clare, mitigating, said the defendant admitted his offending from the outset and should be given "full credit" for his pleas.

Description

A sports massage therapist from Wymondham who admitted sexually assaulting two women has been jailed.

Leon Tomasso, age 35, of Papillion Road, Wymondham, appeared at Kings Lynn Crown Court today (Tuesday 30 August 2022) and was jailed for four years.

Tomasso admitted two counts of assault by penetration on two women in November 2019 at an earlier court hearing.

The court heard how Tomasso assaulted the first victim on 19 November 2019 during one of her regular sports massages at a clinic in Acle.

The victim told officers how Tomasso had said he had misread the signs when she challenged him immediately following the assault. Then, when she questioned him over which signs had made him think that was ok, he told her: Im sorry, it was my male urges that took over. It wont happen again.

The following day Tomasso assaulted a second woman during a sports massage at a gym in Norwich. The second victim told officers how Tomasso had said the assault was part of the wind-down and how he thought she would enjoy it, when she challenged him. He later told her he knew hed crossed the line and that hed "let his emotions get away from him.

Both victims reported the assaults to Norfolk Police and Tomasso was arrested at his home on 21 November 2019 and taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning. He was released on police bail and subsequently charged.

In their Victim Personal Statements (VPS), both women described how they are still suffering the effects of the assaults nearly three years later.

The first victim said: I cant even begin to articulate the look on my husbands face when I broke down sobbing and attempted to tell him what had happened.

I have always looked for the good in people, focused on their positivesbut Tomasso has changed me. I now find myself filled with mistrust, wary of mens intentions and fearful of being nice in case its misconstruedand hope that eventually I will come to terms with what has happened, but the impact on me and my life cannot be underestimated.

In her VPS, the second victim said I felt completely violated and distraught. I thought I was supposed to be in a place of safety and respect, but this was not the case.

The last two and half years has caused a lot of stress and heartache, not only for myself but also my family and my fianc. Even though they do not mention it, I still see the sleepless nights and anxiety on their faces. I have become jaded and suspicious of people and that trust in people can be so easily broken.

Detective Constable Hollie Blaker, who led the investigation, said: The victims will never forget what happened, but I hope todays sentence brings some closure to their ordeal. I thank them for their courage in coming forward and for their resilience, strength, and support over the past two-and-a-half years in getting this case to court. They have never wavered, even in spite of the amount of time that has passed since the assaults, and have been supremely brave throughout. I know this has been distressing for them and their loved ones.

Tomasso exploited and abused their trust when they turned to him for help and were at their most vulnerable. Today it is because of the bravery and determination of these women that we have been able to put Tomasso behind bars."

Description

The bravery of vulnerable women who were sexually assaulted by a Norwich man has been praised by prosecutors.

Stephen Hammond, 59, was branded a high risk dangerous offender as he was jailed for 12 years with an extended period on licence of three years and ordered to serve a minimum of two-thirds of that sentence.

Welcoming the sentence the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he had sought to ruthlessly exploit women for his own sexual gratification.

Jane Foster, from CPS East of England, said: This was a highly complex and challenging case but working alongside the police I was determined to seek justice and ensure the victims' voices were heard.

I have immense respect for the women who have displayed both courage and resilience to come forward and report what happened to them. I hope that this sentence has brought those affected by this mans actions a sense of justice.

Hammond selectively groomed particularly vulnerable women to follow him to his Dereham Road home, before actively encouraging them to take drugs and alcohol.

Two of the women had been unconscious when he sexually assaulted them while he video recorded one of the attacks.

Three women, two aged 40 and one 51, had been living in sheltered housing with long histories of alcohol or drug abuse and mental health issues.

Additional sex offences relating to a fourth woman were dropped after she was unable to give evidence in court.

The CPS said specialist prosecutors had worked in partnership with the police to build a strong case and the conviction demonstrated that a series of heinous crimes had been committed against the women.

Rape and serious sexual offences are some of the most complex crimes to prosecute but whenever there is sufficient evidence for us to prosecute, we will always seek to do so, they added.

Hammond was found guilty following a retrial of three offences of sexual assault by penetration, one charge of sexual assault and one of voyeurism.

Sentencing Hammond at Norwich Crown Court, Judge Antony Bate also praised the bravery of the women and the dedication of police for their careful investigation in this very sensitive and challenging case.

Description

Gary Ewing has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of abuse dating back almost 30 years against two victims, who were then both under 13, in the Norwich area. - Credit: Norfolk Constabulary A victim of historic sexual abuse has bravely spoken out to urge others who have been abused in the past to "never give up". Gary Ewing, 57, has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of abuse dating back almost 30 years against two victims, who were both under 13, in the Norwich area. One of the victims, who is now an adult, has spoken out about the abuse she suffered after Ewing was jailed last month to try and help other potential victims find the courage to come forward. She said: "To anybody that this has happened to please never give up. "It has taken me years to come to terms with what happened to me as a child and in the end I just couldnt take the pain anymore. "For years nobody listened to what I had to say but in the end somebody listened and did believe in me and what I said was the truth and did happen. "Please don't be scared to speak up. Whoever hurt you took away things from you that will never be replaced. Please dont let them take away anything else from you." Both victims have been praised by detective constable Holly Beevis for the bravery they showed in standing up in court and describing what they suffered to help secure Ewing's conviction. She said: "It does show that justice can prevail despite several years passing and should assure victims that they will be listened to if they come forward and the police will take their allegations seriously and investigate them fully." Ewing, formerly of Hercules Road, Hellesdon, was jailed after being convicted following a trial at Norwich Crown Court. He was found guilty of multiple offences against the two victims dating back to between 1992 and 1997, including one count of rape, two counts of sex with a girl under 13 and six counts of indecency with a child. Sentencing Ewing, Judge Stephen Holt said his actions were calculated and planned adding that what he did to the victims "stayed with them into their adult life and affected them greatly. Andrew Oliver, for Ewing, said he had not offended prior to these matters or since but knew he was going to serve a substantial custodial sentence.