DENNIS HAMBRIDGE'S REIGN OF HORROR IN SLEAFORD AND ESSEX ENDS WITH JAIL SENTENCE
| Red Rose Database
Sleaford Child Sexual Abuser
In a harrowing case that spans decades, Dennis Hambridge, a 76-year-old man from Dove Close, Sleaford, has been convicted and sentenced to a lengthy prison term for multiple instances of sexual abuse against young girls. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior that began in the 1970s and persisted into the 2000s, leaving a trail of trauma and silence in its wake.
Hambridge's criminal history includes a prior conviction in 2010 for historic offences committed against a girl during the 1970s when he resided in Essex. Despite serving time for those offences, new allegations emerged when his latest victim, a young girl, came forward to a social worker, revealing that she had been abused by him. The girl, who was only nine years old at the time, disclosed that Hambridge had started abusing her when she was just a child, and he had told her to keep the incidents a secret. She was not threatened but was told that revealing what happened would be disobedient.
The prosecutor, Christopher Geeson, explained that the girl’s behavioral problems worsened over time, prompting her to confide in a social worker in March of this year. It was during this conversation that she disclosed the abuse, which had taken place between 2006 and 2008. Hambridge was charged and admitted to five counts of sexual assault related to these offences.
Judge Michael Heath addressed Hambridge directly, emphasizing the gravity of the case and his prior convictions. He stated, “It is not the first time you have been before the court for such offences. A substantial prison sentence is necessary in this case.” The judge underscored the seriousness of the crimes and the need for a strong punitive response.
Hambridge’s defense lawyer, Stephen Lowne, requested that his client be given credit for his guilty pleas and highlighted concerns about Hambridge’s declining health, suggesting that dementia might be affecting his mental faculties. Lowne argued that these health issues should be taken into account during sentencing.
In a separate but related case from August 2010, Hambridge was also convicted of abusing a five-year-old girl while her father was nearby, unaware of the abuse. The court heard that Hambridge, then 73, had carried out these acts during a walking holiday, giving the young girl piggyback rides while secretly abusing her. He threatened her into silence, warning that if she told anyone, her father would be imprisoned. This abuse was part of a series of incidents that spanned over six years, during which the girl kept her suffering hidden for more than three decades.
Hambridge, who was involved in running a youth group in Essex at the time, admitted to four charges of indecent assault committed between 1974 and 1980. His actions, which included exploiting the trust of a young child, have now resulted in a four-year prison sentence. The court’s decision reflects the severity of his crimes and the lasting impact on his victims, who endured years of silence and suffering before finally finding justice.
Hambridge's criminal history includes a prior conviction in 2010 for historic offences committed against a girl during the 1970s when he resided in Essex. Despite serving time for those offences, new allegations emerged when his latest victim, a young girl, came forward to a social worker, revealing that she had been abused by him. The girl, who was only nine years old at the time, disclosed that Hambridge had started abusing her when she was just a child, and he had told her to keep the incidents a secret. She was not threatened but was told that revealing what happened would be disobedient.
The prosecutor, Christopher Geeson, explained that the girl’s behavioral problems worsened over time, prompting her to confide in a social worker in March of this year. It was during this conversation that she disclosed the abuse, which had taken place between 2006 and 2008. Hambridge was charged and admitted to five counts of sexual assault related to these offences.
Judge Michael Heath addressed Hambridge directly, emphasizing the gravity of the case and his prior convictions. He stated, “It is not the first time you have been before the court for such offences. A substantial prison sentence is necessary in this case.” The judge underscored the seriousness of the crimes and the need for a strong punitive response.
Hambridge’s defense lawyer, Stephen Lowne, requested that his client be given credit for his guilty pleas and highlighted concerns about Hambridge’s declining health, suggesting that dementia might be affecting his mental faculties. Lowne argued that these health issues should be taken into account during sentencing.
In a separate but related case from August 2010, Hambridge was also convicted of abusing a five-year-old girl while her father was nearby, unaware of the abuse. The court heard that Hambridge, then 73, had carried out these acts during a walking holiday, giving the young girl piggyback rides while secretly abusing her. He threatened her into silence, warning that if she told anyone, her father would be imprisoned. This abuse was part of a series of incidents that spanned over six years, during which the girl kept her suffering hidden for more than three decades.
Hambridge, who was involved in running a youth group in Essex at the time, admitted to four charges of indecent assault committed between 1974 and 1980. His actions, which included exploiting the trust of a young child, have now resulted in a four-year prison sentence. The court’s decision reflects the severity of his crimes and the lasting impact on his victims, who endured years of silence and suffering before finally finding justice.