DAVID SHAKESPEARE SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN SOUTH SHIELDS AND SUNDERLAND

In January 2009, a disturbing case of child abuse emerged involving David Shakespeare, a man from South Shields with connections to Sunderland, who was convicted of grooming and abusing a young girl he met through church activities. The victim, a 12-year-old girl from South Tyneside, was subjected to a series of heinous acts over a period of three years, during which Shakespeare exploited her trust and innocence.

Shakespeare, aged 44 at the time of sentencing, resided on Alverthorpe Street in South Shields. His criminal actions came to light after the girl, who had been manipulated and abused, found the courage to confide in her family about her ordeal, which had occurred more than a decade earlier. The court was told that Shakespeare first met the girl at a church in South Tyneside while he was still living with his parents in Sunderland. Their initial contact was during a church trip, a setting that was supposed to be innocent but was exploited by Shakespeare for his own depraved purposes.

Over the course of their interactions, Shakespeare continued to abuse the girl, including visits to his flat in South Shields after he had moved there. During these encounters, he repeatedly told her that what was happening was 'normal and right,' a manipulation tactic aimed at justifying his actions and confusing the young victim. The court heard that Shakespeare molested her on multiple occasions, although he refrained from engaging in full sexual intercourse, citing 'religious reasons' for this restraint. Despite this, the abuse inflicted was severe and damaging.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Shakespeare had no prior criminal record, which made his actions even more shocking. He pleaded guilty to seven charges of indecent assault, a plea that, according to his defense, was helped by his cooperation with police and his acceptance of guilt, sparing the victim from having to testify in court and relive her trauma. His defense attorney, Julian Smith, described Shakespeare as naive and immature, acknowledging flaws in his character but emphasizing that he had shown genuine remorse and shame for his actions.

The judge, Beatrice Bolton, sentenced Shakespeare to four years in prison. She expressed her condemnation of his exploitation, stating, "You exploited a very young, little girl who probably had a childish crush on you. Anyone with a sense of humanity knows that when little girls develop such feelings for an older man, they are not to be exploited." The judge further remarked that Shakespeare's actions left the victim feeling 'dirty and ashamed,' and emphasized that whether there was one victim or twenty, the damage was profound and irreversible.

In addition to his prison sentence, Shakespeare was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life and was prohibited from ever working with children. He was also issued a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which bans him from having any deliberate contact with minors for the next ten years. The court's verdict aimed to protect the community and prevent any further harm from Shakespeare, who was deemed a significant threat due to the nature of his crimes and his ongoing risk to children.