Teenager jailed indefinitely for sex attack on Great Harwood girl, nine

The decision to bail the youth was severely criticised by Hyndburn MP Greg Pope, and Justice Minister Jack Straw described it as 'unusual'.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was described as a 'sick monster' by the younger victim's mum in a moving statement to court.

At one point the Great Harwood girl pretended she was dead to stop the attack.

She was hit with such force that her jaw was broken in two places. She was left with more than 30 cuts and bruises.

She was attacked after Judge David Boulton decided, against police and Crown Prosecution Service advice, to release the teenager on bail.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: “It is hard avoid the conclusion that we suffer from mad judge disease in this country.

“I am amazed and appalled he was let out.”

The teenager raped a 10-year-old girl in a park in his home town of St Helens last April.

He was held in custody until the end of May, when the Liverpool Crown Court judge released the sex attacker on bail subject to conditions.

These included an electronically monitored curfew, and also that he live with his aunt in East Lancashire.

But on August 4, the teenager approached a girl in a field off Alan Ramsbottom Way, Great Harwood, and lured her to a secluded area where she was attacked.

Yesterday, the teenager was sentenced after admitting seven counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 including rape.

Judge David Harris QC sentenced the defendant to an indefinite sentence for public protection.

He will first be eligible for a sentence review after five years but will not be released until the authorities judge he poses no risk.

An order banning his identity being made public was due to be lifted today.

The prosecution described the defendant as a ‘predatory sex offender’.

The court was told the St Helen's girl was subjected to a sustained and prolonged attack after being dragged into some bushes.

In Great Harwood, just a day after his aunt first let him out on his own the defendant struck.

The nine-year-old girl he attacked had been playing with friends looking for insects and bugs when the teenager approached and said he had found a big spider.

The court heard the defendant had been acting suspiciously around the area the day before the attack.

Prosecuting, Deborah Gould, said: “The second set of offences was committed whilst he was on bail for the first and involved the use of a high level of violence towards a young and highly vulnerable female victim.

“The crown draws the court's attention to the following similarities to the offences. Both offences were motivated by the defendant's desire for sexual gratification and involved sexual assault upon young female children accompanied by an amount of violence, the extent of which is determined by the degree of compliance by the victim.”

The attacker was caught by Matthew Clegg and Timothy Bolthover who worked at a nearby scrapyard near Alan Ramsbottom Way. The little girl had come to their firm to raise the alarm.

The judge and the prosecution commended them for detaining the offender.

Judge Harris said: "Commendation in this case must go to Mary Smith. She gave attention and overwhelming compassion and support to a distressed child.

"Timothy Blothover and Matthew Clegg, without any possibility of knowing the risks to themselves, gave substantial chase."

Defending Tom Watson said they were atrocious and appalling attacks but said the defendent had acknowledged what he had done.

After the case, Detective Inspector Steve Dowson, who led the investigation, said: “I am satisfied that the judge deemed this boy to present such a danger to the public and I am reassured that he will serve a considerable amount of time in prison for what he has done.

“These were absolutely despicable attacks on innocent young girls who were out playing with friends. I would like to thank the members of the public from Great Harwood that came forward and assisted us in this investigation.

"I would also like to thank investigation teams in Lancashire and Merseyside for all their dedication to the case and for helping to bringing this teenager to justice.

“The girl from Great Harwood and her family have shown remarkable resilience after this horrific attack and hopefully following this sentence it can bring some closure to them and they can move on with their lives.”

Mr Straw said: “I do not know all the circumstances but I think the decision was unusual in the circumstances and whatever assurances were given about were not borne out by the offender’s behaviour.”

EXCERPTS FROM A STATEMENT THE CHILD'S MOTHER READ TO COURT

On August 4, 2009, the sick monster who is in this court today took my little girl's childhood away from her.

Prior to this day, I had a vivacious, confident little girl. She loved playing out with friends, she loved exploring.

She was confident to speak with people, she was very trusting and she loved stopping over with family and friends.

This now has all changed.

She is now suspicious and frightened all the time, sometimes it is just simple things.

She won’t go anywhere with male family members. She is wary, she will ask where they are going, and mistrusts men especially teenagers and males on the street.

She previously would play in and around the area with her friends.

But now she will only play on the street, only occasionally venturing to the local shop.

The confident child, the outgoing child has now gone inwards.

Ever since the attack my daughter has never fully disclosed what has happened to her.

But what she can tell me is that the monster threatened to kill her, by attempting to snap her neck and how he punched her so hard that her jaw broke in two places.

This type of vicious attack is hard enough for any adult to deal with but this is my nine-year-old child, my baby.

He tried to take my baby away from me and I will never forgive him for that.

What happened after the assault is still a mystery. I know he sexually assaulted her but I don't know to what degree.

I fear that this sick monster may have damaged my child's life indirectly forever.

No one knows how this will affect her in years to come.

My child’s physical injuries have healed but the mental ones she has sustained may be long term and even lifetime injuries.

No sentence will be long enough to make it any easier or to make it right.

He has caused irreversible damage to my baby, this monster should not be released into any community until he is deemed safe.

No child should have to endure what my child and the other 10-year-old child has endured.

This will be with them both for life. The world needs protecting from such evil preditors.

I prepared my child to deal with the world, to ensure she was safe — that is a mothers’ instinct — but what tool do you give to a child to deal with monsters?

It is a mother's greatest fear that your child is hurt or hurting.

This is my personal fear now every day.