October 2018

Fred and Rose West’ of Barry, Peter and Avril Griffiths, jailed for combined 36 years

A husband and wife described as the “Fred and Rosemary West of Barry” have been jailed after grooming and raping teenage girls in their hometown.

Peter Griffiths, 65, and Avril Griffiths, 61, repeatedly abused the girls in a number of locations including at a sex party on a boat.

The pair were found guilty of rape, indecent assault, and taking indecent photos of a child relating to three female victims between 1978 and 1993.

One of their victims described them as the “Fred and Rosemary West of Barry”.

At Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday Peter Griffiths was sentenced to 21 years in jail for eight counts of rape, three of indecent assault, and two of taking an indecent photograph of a child.

His wife Avril Griffiths was sentenced to 15 years in jail for five counts of rape, two of taking an indecent photograph of a child, and two of indecent assault.

Peter Griffiths has been jailed for 21 years in total while his wife Avril Griffiths has been jailed for 15 years.

They will each register as a sex offender for the rest of their lives.

September 2018

‘Fred and Rose West’ Barry couple guilty of raping girls

A husband and wife have been convicted of raping and indecently assaulting young girls.

Peter Griffiths, 65, and Avril Griffiths, 61, from Barry, had denied rape, indecent assault and taking indecent photographs of a child.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the couple – dubbed “the Fred and Rose West” of their estate – abused girls on a boat and at home in the 1980s and 1990s.

One of their victims said she had been passed around “like a sex toy”.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins QC said the couple could both expect to spend a “considerable” time in jail when they are sentenced on 18 October.

Before remanding the pair in custody, he said: “If I am satisfied either of you is a dangerous offender, an extended sentence or even a life sentence would be appropriate.”

During the trial one victim likened their notoriety locally to that of the convicted killers, Fred and Rose West.

Peter Griffiths was described in court as a “sinister sexual abuser”, while jurors heard his wife acted as his bait and “true partner in crime”.

Jurors returned unanimous verdicts and found the couple guilty of 14 counts.

Peter Griffiths was found guilty of eight offences of rape, two of taking an indecent photograph of a child and three of indecent assault.

While his wife was found guilty of five offences of rape, two of taking an indecent photograph of a child and two of indecent assault.

The judge had already directed the jury to find them not guilty of one count of taking an indecent photograph of a child because of insufficient evidence.

During the trial, the court heard that one of the couple’s victims – who was in her early teens – was regularly raped during so-called “sex parties” on a boat.

The complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said two of the men on the boat were police officers because she said they were “always bragging about it”.

In interview, she said the men had told her “no one is going to believe you” if she ever went to the police.

And jurors also heard that she would be left “in the water” by her abusers if she did not do as she was told.

The couple refused to admit their guilt and even claimed that the girls they abused were after compensation.