2004: Man who sexually abused girls jailed

2004: MAN WHO SEXUALLY ABUSED GIRLS JAILED

A man from Stratford who committed sexual offenses against two young girls on separate occasions during the 1970s has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

David Francis, aged 56 and residing on Justin's Avenue in Stratford, denied three charges of indecent assault related to one girl in the late 1970s, as well as three counts of inciting her to perform acts of gross indecency with him.

However, after a trial held at Warwick Crown Court in early November, the jury unanimously found him guilty of all six charges.

Additionally, he was convicted by a 10-2 majority of two counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency concerning another girl earlier in the decade.

Following the jury’s verdicts, Judge Charles Harris adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports and medical assessments, noting that Francis was believed to be in poor health.

At Oxford Crown Court, where the proceedings continued, Francis received nine consecutive five-month sentences and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

The judge described the offenses as "the worst form of abuse over a long period of time" and mandated an extended four-year license period following his release.

During the trial, prosecutor Matthew Barnes explained to the jury that each charge was based on specific allegations, but due to the passage of time, the exact dates or frequency of the incidents could not be pinpointed.

The abuse incidents against the two girls occurred during different years in the 1970s, when Francis was living on Elm Road and later on Eastfield Close.

Mr.

Barnes highlighted how the victims have carried the emotional scars into adulthood, with one of them coming forward to seek justice last year, and the other subsequently making a police report.