May 2016

Suicide pact paedophile jailed for 15 years for preying on vulnerable boy

A man who survived a suicide pact that killed his partner has been jailed for sexually abusing the vulnerable schoolboy they both preyed on.

Stephen Southam (60) pleaded guilty to a series of sex offences upon the child aged 11 to 15, including attempted rape.

Southam was handed a 15 year prison sentence which will see him serve 10 years with five years on licence.

The boy was left so psychologically devastated he tried to kill himself in his teens, Leicester Crown Court was told.

In a victim impact statement he described himself as being left “broken,” suffering panic attacks and unable to sleep – and kept the abuse a secret for many years.

He eventually confided in his girlfriend and then another friend – who confronted Southam’s boyfriend, David Murray, over the telephone.

The friend told Murray they should both hand themselves in to a police station, in August last year.

It resulted in Southam and his partner of 28-years entering into a suicide pact and they both took overdoses, which killed Murray but Southam survived.

James Thomas, prosecuting, said they left suicide a note “indicating nothing had been the victim’s fault.”

It also stated that Southam and his partner were living “in the bottom of a mental cesspit” at the time and “everyone will be at peace.”

Southam, of Talbot Street, Thringstone, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to five specimen counts of indecent assault, an attempted indecent assault and attempted rape between 1997 and 2002.

Judge Philip Head told Southam he would be eligible for parole after serving two thirds of the 10 year term.

The judge said: “This was a prolonged and extreme campaign of sexual abuse of him.

“He later tried to kill himself at 17.”

The judge said Southam, who also made the youngster watch pornography, was undeterred by the victim’s resistance to the abuse.

He said: “You were acting in concert with your partner, who killed himself when disclosure was made.

“Much of this was committed jointly by two adults upon one child.

“It’s caused grave psychological harm.

“In his victim personal statement he gives a moving account of the dreadful effect upon him and he later contemplated suicide a second time.

“There’s a significant risk to members of the public, particularly young adolescent boys, of you committing further offences.”

Southam was jailed for eight months in 2009 for downloading indecent images of children and supplying cannabis to a 14-year-old boy he admitted having sexual fantasies about.

Sarah Cornish, mitigating, said: “He’s tearfully and emotionally expressed genuine remorse and wants to tell (the victim) he’s sorry and none of it was his fault.

“He accepts all the matters and aggravating features and the complainant has been spared giving evidence at a trial.

Southam was told he will have to sign on a sex offender register for life and was placed on a 15-year sexual harm prevention order.