COLIN LAWTON, BOLTON PAEDOPHILE, SENTENCED FOR ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRL IN BOLTON
In a case that has shocked the community of Bolton, a 65-year-old man named Colin Lawton has been convicted and sentenced for a disturbing campaign of sexual abuse against a young girl.The incident, which spanned several years, came to light during a court hearing at Bolton Crown Court, where Lawton was found guilty of multiple serious charges.
Lawton, who resides on Kendal Road in Bolton, pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault on a female and one count of gross indecency with a child.
The court was told that his victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, was only between the ages of eight and nine when Lawton began his inappropriate conduct.
The prosecutor, Philip Dobson, described the victim’s perception of Lawton, stating, “She looked up to him.
She thought he was intelligent and knowledgeable.” According to the prosecution, Lawton’s interactions with the girl initially appeared innocent but gradually escalated into overtly sexual acts.
The court heard detailed accounts of how Lawton would intimately touch the girl and kiss her on multiple occasions.
In one particularly disturbing incident, he convinced her to strip, then undressed himself, and coerced her into hitting him on the bare bottom with a belt.
The court was also informed of a reckless act where Lawton left chips cooking on the hob while upstairs abusing the girl.
The unattended food eventually caught fire, causing a significant blaze that resulted in smoke damage to the kitchen.
Mr.
Dobson highlighted the emotional toll on the victim, stating, “She would very frequently cry herself to sleep.
When she didn’t do what he told her, he had outbursts of temper, which frightened her.
He told her not to say anything to anyone about what was happening.” Lawton’s arrest came in November 2014, during which he admitted to his past misconduct with the girl during police interviews.
The prosecutor revealed that Lawton viewed the girl as “almost a cross between a mother and a girlfriend,” and that he confided in her, claiming he had been infatuated with her from when she was eight until she was in her twenties.
It was also disclosed that some of the offences occurred while Lawton was serving a two-year probation order imposed in 1976 for an earlier indecent assault on a different young girl.
Lawton’s defense, represented by Nicola Gatto, argued that her client had struggled with severe depression and had attempted to take his own life at least three times, including an incident that delayed the sentencing hearing.
Gatto described Lawton as a “very lonely and solitary individual,” noting his deep-rooted personality difficulties and a belief that he experienced a form of “delayed adolescence.” Judge Timothy Clayson, the Honorary Recorder of Bolton, sentenced Lawton to a total of 78 months in prison.
Additionally, he imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to protect potential future victims.
Addressing Lawton directly, Judge Clayson stated, “He was, I have no doubt at all, a dangerous individual to two young girls.” The court’s verdict underscores the severity of Lawton’s actions and the community’s concern over his dangerousness.
