April 2021

Man jailed for nine years after being found guilty of rape

A man has been jailed for nine years after being found guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl in Hinckley in 2019.

Kristian Jackson, 28, of Ashby Road, Hinckley was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Monday 12 April.

He was also issued with a sexual harm prevention order, a restraining order and will be placed on the sex offenders register.

On the evening of 26 October 2019, Jackson was looking after the victim at his home address. He gave her alcohol and she became so intoxicated that she was sick.

Jackson then drove her home where he attacked her several times

It was an incident of repeated rape for between 20 and 40 minutes

He finally fled the scene when the girl screamed out for help.

The incident was reported to police and an investigation commenced.

Following enquiries, officers attended Jackson’s home address and he was arrested and subsequently charged.

The girl, in a video-recorded victim impact statement, made nine months after the event, described how the ordeal had shattered her confidence and trust in others.

She suffered sleepless nights for weeks afterwards and reverted to childlike behaviour, constantly needing her mother nearby and avoided social situations, preferring to “stay at home.”

She added: “I get nervous and paranoid and find it difficult to cope.

“My emotions are up and down like a roller coaster and I get flash things [flashbacks] about what happened.”

The teenager, who has received counselling, talked of friendships with boys failing, of lost self-confidence and an inability to concentrate on school work.

“It took me on a dark and sad road,” she said.

A jury at Leicester Crown Court convicted Jackson of raping the girl on an evening in October 2019.

The jurors heard that Jackson told a police officer the girl had drunk about a half a bottle of gin in two hours.

Despite the complainant vomiting and going into “a drunken stupor,” the defendant removed her clothing and had sex with her, without her consent, at a house in the Hinckley area.

Sentencing, Recorder Martin Butterworth said: “You’ve been convicted of raping a 15-year-old child and the evidence was powerful.

“I’m satisfied you formed an unhealthy intention towards her.

“In the early evening you gave her a large amount of alcohol.”

He said the defendant initially showed concern when the girl was repeatedly sick but then “had designs” on her.

Then “under the guise of helping her” he took advantage of the situation.

Recorder Butterworth said: “I’m sure you watched her and gauged the degree of her alcohol-induced stupor.”

The girl had “resisted” him and repeatedly tried to push him away, but he was undeterred, the court heard.

When she began calling out for help, he quickly dressed them both.

The Recorder said: “When [later] confronted by her father you lied, just as you did to this jury.

“The harm you’ve done to her is far reaching and permanent.”

Jackson claimed to the jury the girl initiated sexual activity and it was consensual – despite the fact she was below the age of consent.

Jackson was jailed for nine years.

He was placed on an indefinite sexual harm prevention order along with a restraining order, banning any contact with the victim or her family.

March 2021

Pictured: ‘Monster’ who sexually abused six-year-old girl

A “monster” who sexually molested a six-year-old schoolgirl has been jailed.

Craig Townsend, 35, committed the offences in the Charnwood area over a period of several years.

The victim reported the abuse to the police in 2018, and attended Leicester Crown Court today to see him sentenced.

Townsend, formerly of Sileby, was convicted by a jury of three counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13, and one of causing or inciting her to engage in sexual activity.

Esther Harrison, prosecuting, said that one of the victim’s adult relatives made a personal impact statement on her behalf and described Townsend as “a monster” for targeting such a young child, and said his actions had violated the victim’s “body and mind.”

The relative added: “He needs to understand how much pain and suffering she (the victim) felt.”

The complainant has undergone counselling and still suffers from anxiety and panic attacks.

Townsend denied the charges and still maintains his innocence, the court was told.

Sentencing Townsend, Judge Philip Head told him: “Your activities, designed by you, were a form of grooming.”

During the trial, the court heard how he had kissed the girl and the offences progressed to sexual contact.

Townsend had previous convictions for motoring, dishonesty and violence, last appearing in court in 2005, and had nothing on his record for sex offending, the jury was told.

March 2021

Man sentenced for having sex with a horse AGAIN

A pervert who had sex with a horse was tearfully accused by the owner of having “raped” her family’s pet pony.

The woman emotionally made her accusation before Isaac Cluley was sentenced for his “unusual” offending.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to one count of sexual penetration of a living animal last August.

He also admitted possessing extreme pornography, relating to mobile phone footage of the pony and two obscene and perverted images downloaded from the internet.

Leicester Crown Court was told Cluley was prosecuted in 2016 for an earlier offence of having sex with a different horse – when he was given a community order.

Andrew Fitch-Holland, prosecuting, said a friend of the defendant’s chanced upon the video when borrowing his phone last summer.

Cluley was drunk at the time and the concerned friend wanted to phone his mother – and was shocked to see the footage with the pony.

The police then became involved.

Cluley was in “considerable distress” following his arrest and officers were concerned for his wellbeing.

The defendant told them: “I want help with my mental health, it’s why I’ve been drinking more lately.”

The horse’s owner attended court to read a personal impact statement.

She said she purchased the Shetland ten years ago for her five year-old-son, and the two had grown up together.

Before being informed of the incident by the police, she said she suspected her horses had been “frightened in some way” in their field because of a noticeable change in their behaviour – particularly the small 10 hands high Shetland mare.

The pony was unusually fearful and nervous and suddenly began acting threateningly towards her teenage son, as if to kick him.

Sobbing with emotion, she spoke of the distress caused to her family and the expense of having to install a £286 CCTV field camera to watch her animals grazing, in the Leicester area.

A veterinary forensic examination of the pony cost her £60.

The Shetland is now kept locked in a stable overnight, when it was used to being outdoors, as the offence is thought to have happened in the early hours.

She told the judge: “The fact someone was walking around and prepared to rape an animal on more than one occasion (because of the previous conviction) concerns me greatly.”

The 44-year-old owner added: “I feel anxious because I don’t know how many times it’s happened.”

After the hearing she said: “The pony was such a sweetie, so trusting, but is now wary and defensive.

“When she becomes scared and fearful – even by something normal like having a rug put on – it reminds me of what happened.

“If it was down to me he would be in custody now.

“I can only hope whatever his rehabilitation involves, that it works.

“I can’t forgive what he did to a harmless animal, I’ve not heard anything to explain why he’s done it and he’s shown no remorse.”

Cluley, unemployed, of Milligan Road, Aylestone, Leicester, was given a six month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He will have to attend up to 40 days of a sex offender programme and pay the pony’s owner £350 in compensation.

Cluley was also placed on a two month electronically monitored home curfew, between 8pm and 8am.

He will be on a sex offender register for five years and was placed on a sexual harm prevention order, for the same duration – stipulating various conditions, including not entering a field, paddock or any animal enclosure where there is livestock, when he is on his own.

He is barred from working with animals in any capacity and cannot own or care for any animal without the permission of his offender manager.

Recorder William Edis QC said: “For the second time in your life you’re before the court for having sexual intercourse with a horse and that – if I say no more – is an alarming picture.

“One thing I have to do as the judge is to try and work out why you’ve committed this unusual offence twice.

“Is it because you have overpowering sexual interest in horses?

“Is it a cry or help or attention seeking?

“One thing that has to happen is you have to decide to stop doing this – or be made to stop.

“Even though you amply deserve a prison sentence, I’m not sure that’s going to address the problem, I have to find the best way to protect society and animals from you.

“You have been extensively examined by various professionals.

“No-one has told me why you did this.”

Recorder Edis said he hoped Cluley had “heard the pain” expressed by the pony owner.

He said: “Her son grew up with that animal and his relationship with that animal may never be the same again.

“She’s anxious about more abuse happening to another animal.

“These are not victimless crimes, these are real victims with real pain and you caused it for reasons I can only guess at.

January 2021

Man, 22, admits having sex with horse and filming it on his phone

Isaac Cluley, 22, committed the offence in Leicester in August last year and was arrested later after a friend chanced upon the video when borrowing his phone.

The friend was appalled by what he saw and confronted Cluley before contacting the police.

Cluley, of Milligan Road, Aylestone, Leicester appeared at the city’s magistrates’ court yesterday to admit a single charge under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Following a brief hearing, magistrates sent his case to Leicester Crown Court, which has greater sentencing powers.

A psychiatric report will be prepared in time for the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled to take place at the end of the month.

Prosecutor Stacey Mills told the court that the friend had discovered the film when he used Cluley’s phone to seek help because the defendant was so drunk he was concerned for his welfare.

Ms Mills said: “He saw a video on the screen. He said it must have been left there since the phone was last used.

“The video showed someone having intercourse with a horse. It looked as though the person committing the act was also holding the phone.

“He thought the person in the video could be this defendant, so he decided to transfer the video to his phone.

“He says he did this because he thought this might be a police case.”

At this point, Cluley was so ill as a result of his alcohol consumption that he was taken to hospital by ambulance, Ms Mills said.

The young man later ‘confronted’ Cluley about the video.

“Initially the defendant denied it was him in the video, but eventually he did admit it,” Ms Mills said.

“He also said he had done it before and disclosed that the horse was near where he lived, in Great Central Way.”

At this stage the friend contacted Leicestershire Police to report Cluley.

“He was interviewed and ultimately admitted the offences.” Ms Mills added.

“On the way to the police station he said ‘I want help with my mental health. It is why I have been drinking more recently.’

Ms Mills said he was convicted of the same offence in 2016 and was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court to a community order.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of two years in custody.

His legal representative Kate Nield said a psychiatric assessment would be prepared in time for the hearing at the crown court on Friday, January 29.

March 2021

Face of ‘predatory and violent sex offender’ from Leicester who raped woman in Blackpool alleyway

A man who raped a woman in an alleyway in Blackpool has been jailed and described by police as a ‘predatory and violent sex offender’.

David Dara, 29, attacked the ‘vulnerable’ lone woman in the Lancashire seaside resort on the evening of Thursday, April 23 last year.

Dara, of Saxby Street, Highfields, Leicester, was jailed yesterday following a trial at Burnley Crown Court.

Lancashire Constabulary, which investigated the attack, released details of the hearing and issued a photograph naming and shaming ‘abhorrent’ Dara.

Police say he was arrested after the 20-year-old woman reported the attack to police and he was linked to the crime by personal items detectives found at the scene.

In a statement, Lancashire Police said: “The victim was approached by a man and taken into an alleyway off Hopton Road at the side of the Home Bargains Store on Tyldesley Road, in South Shore.

“The offender then subjected the victim to a serious sexual assault before violently assaulting her as she lay on the ground.

“The attacker made off from the scene on a bike, with the victim found by two women and taken home with the incident reported to police.

“Following investigation detectives identified the scene of the attack, with a number of items, including a set of keys, a mobile phone, a bank card, an Adidas bag and a blue Nike hoody, found.

“These items were quickly linked to Dara.”

Dara and a 19-year-old man from Blackpool were subsequently arrested.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service Dara was charged with rape, while the other man was released and faced no charges.

Dara denied the offence but was convicted of rape and assault following the trial.

Yesterday, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with six years on licence.

He was handed a 20 year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), which will impose conditions on is movements and activities once he is released.