Locations
Elwy Circle, Ash Green, Coventry, CV7
Description
A man has been jailed for seven years for non-recent sexual offences against three women.
In 2022, our Child Abuse, Trafficking and Exploitation Team launched an investigation into 67-year-old Graham Cockerill of Elwy Circle, Ash Green, Coventry.
Cockerill was reported to have sexually assaulted three women. The first victim, (then under 13), reported assaults by Cockerill taking place in the Coventry area between 2016 – 2022. Another victim made themselves known to investigators and reported offences by Cockerill throughout the 1970s, between the ages of nine and 14, in the Meriden area.
Through the course of the investigation, a further victim was identified who was aged in her 40s at the time. She sadly passed away in 1995 and had never reported the offences to police.
In June, following a trial at Warwick Crown Court, Cockerill was found guilty of:
- Three counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by touching
- Two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14
- One count of indecent assault of a female over 16 years of age
On Tuesday last week (5 August), he was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment at Warwick Crown Court. He was also given a 10-year restraining order for one of the victims, a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Det Con James Manders, formerly of our CATE team, commented:
“This case demonstrates that in certain circumstances, a victim need not necessarily even be alive for us to obtain a conviction.
“Despite 30 years having passed since her death, and having never reported the crime to the police, we worked tirelessly to gather evidence to ensure we could bring Cockerill to justice. Thankfully, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to progress with this case thanks to statements from living witnesses about the victim and the offender disclosing details of the crime to them.
“I’d like to thank the CPS lawyer who decided to authorise this charge and allow a jury to make up their minds about Cockerill’s guilt.
“The victims and witnesses in this case are amongst the most extraordinary people I have had the pleasure of knowing during my policing career. They showed great strength and courage throughout the process. As always, the service we provide to victims will always be at the forefront of any investigation, whether living or deceased.”