July 2004 15 years in jail for ‘evil’ crimes A 63-year-old Hull man has been jailed for 15 years for a series of rapes and indecent assaults. Colin Coldham, of The Queensway, Hall Road, was found guilty at Hull Crown Court of six counts of indecent assault and two counts of rape. The charges related to two girls between 1962 and 1982 at addresses in the city. Judge Peter Morrell told the defendant he had considered reducing the sentence because of his age and his poor health. But he told Coldham, who has angina and an asbestos related disease, that he could not do so because of his “evil” crimes. Judge Morrell said: “When they were young you subjected both of these girls to a campaign of indecency over many years. “For one it involved very serious indecent assaults which would be visited now with substantial periods of imprisonment. “And for the other it went beyond that. For years you raped her two or three times a week and she was achild. That was wicked. “You took away their innocence and they carry with them to this day the mental scars of what you did. “I have considered carefully whether your age or infirmity should affect the sentence. “I have concluded it would be wrong to do so in light of the evil of what you did.” Coldham was sentenced to three years each for four counts of indecent assault and two years each for two counts of indecent assault. For each count of rape he received 15 years. The eight sentences are to run concurrently and he will serve at least seven and a half years of each 15 year sentence. If his health deteriorates, so it would be cruel or inhumane to keep him in prison, an application could be made for his release. The jury found him not guilty of six of the 14 charges he was tried for, including two of indecent assault and two of rape. Coldham is now on the sex offenders register and is banned for life from working with children.