DAVID STEVENSON'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN CARLISLE AND CLEATOR MOOR: LIFE SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE

In July 2017, a man from Carlisle named David Stevenson was handed a life sentence after being convicted of heinous sexual offenses involving a young girl. The court sentenced him to a minimum of eight years behind bars, reflecting the severity of his crimes. The case drew significant attention due to the disturbing nature of the abuse and the involvement of a woman who assisted Stevenson in carrying out the assaults. This accomplice was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with the judge at Carlisle Crown Court condemning her actions as wicked. For legal reasons, she remains unnamed, having been convicted of aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child.

Earlier in the trial, a jury at Carlisle Crown Court unanimously found Stevenson guilty of three separate sexual assaults on the young girl. The trial, which lasted a week, revealed the horrifying details of the abuse. The victim, who was praised by Judge Peter Davies for her bravery, recounted her traumatic experience of meeting a man she referred to as “Dave.” She described how he played a game with her, which she later described as “really horrible,” and detailed how Stevenson had committed these acts “loads and loads of times,” calling him the “horriblest.”

Stevenson, who resides on Compton Street in Carlisle, showed no visible emotion as he was led away to begin his sentence. Meanwhile, the woman involved in aiding him was visibly upset, crying as the judge delivered the sentence. Judge Davies expressed his view that she had shown no remorse for her actions. Both Stevenson and his accomplice will now be registered on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, and Stevenson’s release will depend solely on the parole board’s assessment of his safety and potential risk to the public.

In a related case from June 2017, Stevenson was facing the possibility of a life sentence after being convicted of similar sexual offenses. The jury at Carlisle Crown Court found him guilty of three sexual assaults on a child, as well as of breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) that had been imposed in 2006. This order was originally put in place after Stevenson was convicted of raping and indecently assaulting a girl in her early teens. Stevenson denied the allegations of recent abuse, but the jury, consisting of seven women and five men, found him guilty of all four charges after hearing the evidence.

Judge Peter Davies adjourned the case, requesting additional background information before sentencing, which was scheduled for July 21. He warned Stevenson that, given his previous conviction for rape, he was likely to face a life sentence unless there were exceptional circumstances. Stevenson was remanded in custody pending sentencing.

Additionally, a woman who was on trial alongside Stevenson was convicted of aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child under 13. She was also remanded in custody and was warned to expect a significant custodial sentence.

Back in August 2006, Stevenson’s earlier conviction for child rape was subject to an unsuccessful appeal. The case involved allegations that the victim suffered from false memory syndrome, a claim Stevenson’s legal team argued was supported by psychological therapy that uncovered repressed memories. Stevenson, then 42 and residing on Cragg Road in Cleator Moor, was convicted of three counts of rape at Canterbury Crown Court and sentenced to 10 years in prison. His appeal at London’s Criminal Appeal Court was dismissed, with Lord Justice Hughes ruling that the appeal lacked sufficient grounds, particularly the absence of evidence of a pattern of false allegations. The court reaffirmed Stevenson’s status as a convicted sex offender, with his previous convictions and ongoing registration on the Sex Offenders Register.