DEAN BENNELLICK'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN EXETER AND PLYMOUTH: A LONG HISTORY OF ABUSE AND JUSTICE DELAYED

In February 2016, Dean Bennellick, a man with a notorious past, was released from prison and is now residing in Exeter, Devon. His criminal history, however, stretches back over decades, marked by heinous acts of child abuse and a series of legal battles that have kept him in the public eye.

Back in November 2014, Bennellick, then 65 years old and living in Plympton, Devon, faced a significant setback when his appeal against his conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in London. The judges described his attempt to overturn his sentence as 'hopeless' and 'unmeritorious,' leading to an additional month being added to his incarceration. The court's decision underscored the seriousness of his crimes and the futility of his legal challenge.

Originally, Bennellick was convicted at Truro Crown Court in July 2009, where he received an 11-year prison sentence. His conviction was based on multiple counts of indecent assault, with the court also finding him guilty of making and possessing indecent images of children. The court heard harrowing details of his abuse, which spanned over a period of years and involved a six-year-old girl whom he targeted more than 30 years prior. The victim, who had kept her suffering secret out of fear and disbelief, eventually came forward after police seized Bennellick's computer in 2007. The investigation uncovered over 2,000 indecent images of children, some of the most depraved and at the highest level of indecency, including category five images.

During the trial, Lady Justice Hallett described how Bennellick had attacked the young girl, including while she sat on his lap and during sessions where he engaged in perverted photography. The court heard that he groped her, placed his hand inside her underwear, and urged her to perform sexual acts. Despite his claims of innocence and accusations that the girl had fabricated her story to seek financial gain, the jury believed her account and convicted him of molestation. Bennellick's defense attempted to introduce new evidence concerning the victim's financial situation, claiming it could undermine her credibility. However, the judges dismissed these efforts, stating that the evidence could have been presented at trial and was of little relevance.

Furthermore, Bennellick sought to adduce additional testimony from other witnesses and from himself, but these attempts were also rejected. The court emphasized that Bennellick had been warned that his appeal was unlikely to succeed, yet he persisted, wasting valuable court resources. Lady Justice Hallett explicitly stated that his appeal was 'totally hopeless,' and ordered that the 28 days he had spent in custody awaiting the appeal's outcome would not count towards his sentence.

In a separate legal development in September 2010, Bennellick faced a civil lawsuit from his victim, who was seeking damages of up to £100,000. The woman, who had endured the trauma of his sexual abuse from 1974 to 1984, claimed to have suffered personal injuries as a result of his actions. She alleged that Bennellick, a former police officer, had begun abusing her when she was just six years old, with the assaults continuing into her teenage years. At the time of the abuse, Bennellick was living in Plympton and had also served in the Royal Air Force and as a firefighter.

The court heard that Bennellick was currently detained at HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire. The victim's claim detailed the profound psychological impact of the abuse, with her still experiencing trauma years later. Court documents indicated that Bennellick had been convicted at Plymouth Crown Court on seven counts of indecent assault and eleven charges of possessing indecent images, some of which were of the highest depravity. It was revealed that just before police raided his home, he had been watching child pornography, further illustrating his depraved behavior.

In addition to his 10-year sentence for the sexual offenses, Bennellick received an extra 12 months for possessing indecent images. He was also subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and mandated to register as a sex offender for life. His criminal activities, which spanned many years and involved multiple victims, have left a lasting scar on those affected, and his case continues to serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and justice in protecting children from predators.