COLIN GOLIGHTLY FROM STANLEY SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRLS IN COUNTY DURHAM

On Friday, June 6, a man named Colin Golightly, residing in Stanley, was sentenced to a total of six years and eight months in prison for the sexual abuse of two young girls. The offences spanned over two different periods, with the first series occurring during the 1990s and the second more recent set taking place in the years leading up to his arrest.

Durham Crown Court heard that Golightly, now 57 years old, had attempted to persuade both victims not to disclose what had happened to them. It was only after one of the girls confided in her aunt about the abuse that the matter was reported to the police late last year. The court was informed that Golightly was arrested following the report, but he chose to make no comment during his police interview.

Earlier in April, Golightly, then aged 56 and living at Nightingale Place, South Moor, Stanley, admitted to six counts of indecent assault and seven counts of sexual assault. Prosecutor Paul Newcombe emphasized that the offences had a profound and lasting impact on the victims, describing the effects as 'significant.'

Judge Christopher Prince addressed the court, stating, 'There’s absolutely no reason, whatsoever, for them to feel shame or blame for what happened. Everyone in the criminal justice system recognizes the courage it takes to come forward with such complaints.'

Golightly’s defense lawyer, Thomas Laffey, explained that his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and was considered to be of previous good character. Laffey also noted that Golightly had been in custody since January and posed a low to medium risk of reoffending. He assured the court that Golightly was willing to cooperate with any necessary interventions to address his offending behavior while incarcerated.

Despite this, Judge Prince made it clear that there is no justification for the abuse, stating, 'While you accept sexually abusing these victims, you have tried to make some justification for it, in order to minimise your behaviour to them. You have to realize there can be no justification for these offences.' As part of his sentence, Golightly will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

In a related hearing earlier in April, Golightly appeared via video link from prison to admit to the charges. The court ordered a background report from the Probation Service and a psychiatric assessment before sentencing. The judge adjourned the case for two months to allow these reports to be completed and confirmed that Golightly would remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register, with the duration depending on his sentence. The sentencing was scheduled to be conducted through the prison’s video link system to avoid the need for Golightly to be physically present in court.