THREE MEN JAILED IN CAERNARFON FOR HISTORIC SEXUAL ABUSE ON ANGLESEY

In May 2014, three men received lengthy prison sentences at Caernarfon Crown Court for the historic sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl.

The jury heard that Owen Hefin Williams, 71, and Robert Hughes, 58, both residents of Gwalchmai, Anglesey, along with William David Darbyshire, 52, of Skegness but formerly from Gwalchmai, had each abused the girl 'separately but sequentially' from the age of eight until she was approximately 14.

Williams was convicted of six counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. Hughes and Darbyshire, who denied the charges, received sentences of six and four years respectively.

Judge Merfyn Hughes QC addressed the men, stating: “The jury has convicted each of you of sexually abusing a young child separately but sequentially. There is no evidence you were aware of what the others had done.”

He described Williams as a “dangerous paedophile” who had corrupted the girl and “taken full advantage” of her, adding: “You groomed her carefully and she gained your trust. Despite the things you did to her, she looked forward to meeting you. You have previous convictions for similar offences, which aggravates these crimes.”

The judge noted that Darbyshire had abused the girl from a very young age and had threatened her to prevent her from disclosing the abuse to her father. Hughes was also found responsible for serious abuse.

Prosecutor Andrew Green explained that the abuse began when the woman, now in her mid-40s, was eight years old. The misconduct was uncovered in December 2012 when she provided police with a videotaped interview. Green emphasized that the psychological impact of the abuse had been “devastating,” stating she had been “robbed of her innocence,” and that she was now confused about relationships with men.

Following her complaint, police arrested and questioned all three men. Darbyshire denied any indecent assault, including any of the details she provided. Hughes also denied abusing her. Williams confessed to being a delivery van driver on Anglesey but responded with “no comment” when police asked about the girl’s allegations.

Legal representatives for each defendant requested that the judge consider the time elapsed since the offences. John Wyn Williams highlighted Owen Williams’ age and health issues, acknowledging that incarceration was inevitable. Anna Pope, representing Darbyshire, pointed out that he was a teenager at the time of the offences and mentioned that while he had committed further crimes since, they were not sexual in nature. Kim Halsall, Hughes’ barrister, added that Hughes had not committed any offences for over 20 years and was regarded as a hardworking individual by his employers.

All three men, upon release, will be required to register as sex offenders indefinitely.