ALLISTER GARNHAM JAILED IN NORWICH FOR SEX OFFENCES AND COURT ORDER BREACHES
In a recent development at Norwich Crown Court, 68-year-old Allister Garnham from Stone Road, Norwich, was sentenced to a 10-month prison term after admitting to multiple violations of his legal obligations and committing a sexual offence.Garnham, a convicted sex offender, had previously been convicted in 2008 for sexually assaulting two girls under the age of 13, which led to his placement on the sex offenders register.
Despite this, he was found to have failed on two separate occasions to inform police of his current residence, breaching the conditions of his notification requirements.
The court heard that Garnham had failed to notify authorities about his whereabouts on two occasions, a serious breach given his status as a registered sex offender.
Prosecutor John Morgans emphasized that Garnham’s failure to comply with these legal obligations posed ongoing risks to public safety.
The court also considered the nature of the recent offence, which involved a sexual act committed against a woman described as “vulnerable,” further aggravating Garnham’s culpability.
Garnham’s defense attorney, Isobel Ascherson, argued that the latest victim had initially made contact with him and that he had not engaged in grooming behavior.
However, Judge Stephen Holt, presiding over the case, highlighted the vulnerability of the victim and emphasized the seriousness of Garnham’s breaches and offences.
As part of his sentence, Garnham was ordered to remain on the sex offenders register for an additional ten years, extending the period of his monitored status.
In a related case from August 2008, Garnham, then aged 60 and residing in Danbury before moving to Norwich, was convicted of a series of heinous crimes spanning over two decades in the Chelmsford area.
He was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual activity involving young girls.
The judge described Garnham’s conduct as “lamentable” and ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Prosecutor Diane Pigot detailed that Garnham had initially told one of his victims, a seven-year-old girl assaulted in the mid-1980s, that their secret must be kept and threatened her with harm if she disclosed the abuse.
Another victim, aged 12 at the time, was subjected to a series of sexual assaults in 2005 while Garnham was residing near Danbury.
The court heard that Garnham’s actions were part of a long history of predatory behavior, which the judge condemned as “appalling crimes” requiring a stern sentence.
Defense counsel Emma Nash revealed that Garnham had previously lived at a care home in Jersey, which was under scrutiny for a child abuse scandal, and that he himself had been a victim of abuse during his youth.
An Essex Police spokesperson expressed hope that the court’s verdict and sentencing would bring some measure of closure to the victims and serve as a reminder of the importance of justice in such cases.
