December 2015

12-year jail term for man who raped young schoolgirl

A bully who dragged a young girl by her hair and tied her down during a “degrading series of sexual assaults” has been jailed for 12-and-a-half years.

He threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone and she later suffered nightmares and flashbacks, a court heard.

Matthew Sharpe, 25, of Bardney Avenue, Scunthorpe, denied raping a girl under 13, two offences of assault by penetration, sexual assault and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was convicted by a jury at Grimsby Crown Court on majority verdicts after a trial.

He was cleared of five other offences after deliberations totaling nearly eight hours.

Craig Lowe, prosecuting, said the girl had suffered serious emotional problems, including nightmares and flashbacks, and she had said: “I hate it.”

Sharpe had made threats to her about coming back and attacking her if she told anyone about the offences.

Jessica Strange, mitigating, said Sharpe had previous convictions, but nothing of this kind. He had been working at a potatoes company and had also been hoping to work at the Tata steelworks.

Judge David Tremberg told the court Sharpe “dragged” the girl by her hair and tied her down.

“When she cried and protested, you struck her and threatened her that you would kill her if she ever told anyone and she believed it,” he said.

The girl had been left “physically and emotionally fragile” and continued to suffer a “catalogue” of ailments.

“Your behaviour has cast a massive shadow over her life and has seriously exacerbated the emotional difficulties from which she has suffered,” added Judge Tremberg.

Sharpe had used “threats to ensure her silence” and it was “disgraceful behaviour”.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and given an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting the girl.