DEREK THOMAS FROM SWANSEA JAILED FOR 40 YEARS OF PREDATORY SEXUAL ABUSE
| Red Rose Database
Swansea Sexual Abuser
In a case that has shocked the community of Swansea, Derek Thomas, a 65-year-old self-employed builder from Heol Bryngwili, Cross Hands, has been convicted of a long history of sexual abuse spanning over four decades. The court heard that Thomas had subjected numerous girls and women to his predatory behavior, some as young as six or seven years old, at various locations across Swansea.
Thomas appeared before Swansea Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to 26 counts of sexual and indecent assault. His sentencing took place amidst a wave of condemnation from the judiciary and the victims’ advocates. His Honour Judge Paul Thomas described Thomas’s actions as “sordid sexual attentions” that had profoundly damaged the lives of those he victimized.
The court was informed that the abuse took place in multiple settings, including private residences and a workshop that Thomas used. One of his victims vividly described the location where the assaults occurred as a “Hammer House of Horrors,” emphasizing the terrifying and traumatic nature of her experience. She also shared that the abuse had left a lasting scar on her mental health, affecting her adult life and her marriage. She expressed her sadness, reflecting on her childhood and questioning how many other lives Thomas might have ruined.
Prosecutor Ieaun Rees highlighted the emotional toll on the victims, noting that one woman’s marriage was marred by her inability to tolerate physical contact, a consequence of the abuse she endured. She also expressed her regret and sorrow, pondering the extent of Thomas’s predatory behavior and its impact on others.
Defense lawyer Huw Rees acknowledged that the only mitigation he could offer was Thomas’s early admission of guilt. Rees stated that justice had taken some time to catch up with his client, but ultimately, Thomas’s remorse was evident.
Judge Paul Thomas sentenced Derek Thomas to a total of eight years in prison. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and was banned from working with children in the future. The judge did not hold back in his condemnation, stating, “You are now 65, and for two thirds of your life, you presented to the world a picture of respectability that was a lie because the reality is you have been a predatory paedophile.”
He further described Thomas as a “committed paedophile” whose actions had left emotional scars on numerous women and girls, with consequences that would likely persist into the future. The court’s verdict underscored the severity of Thomas’s crimes and the lasting damage inflicted upon his victims, highlighting the importance of justice in cases of such heinous abuse.
Thomas appeared before Swansea Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to 26 counts of sexual and indecent assault. His sentencing took place amidst a wave of condemnation from the judiciary and the victims’ advocates. His Honour Judge Paul Thomas described Thomas’s actions as “sordid sexual attentions” that had profoundly damaged the lives of those he victimized.
The court was informed that the abuse took place in multiple settings, including private residences and a workshop that Thomas used. One of his victims vividly described the location where the assaults occurred as a “Hammer House of Horrors,” emphasizing the terrifying and traumatic nature of her experience. She also shared that the abuse had left a lasting scar on her mental health, affecting her adult life and her marriage. She expressed her sadness, reflecting on her childhood and questioning how many other lives Thomas might have ruined.
Prosecutor Ieaun Rees highlighted the emotional toll on the victims, noting that one woman’s marriage was marred by her inability to tolerate physical contact, a consequence of the abuse she endured. She also expressed her regret and sorrow, pondering the extent of Thomas’s predatory behavior and its impact on others.
Defense lawyer Huw Rees acknowledged that the only mitigation he could offer was Thomas’s early admission of guilt. Rees stated that justice had taken some time to catch up with his client, but ultimately, Thomas’s remorse was evident.
Judge Paul Thomas sentenced Derek Thomas to a total of eight years in prison. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and was banned from working with children in the future. The judge did not hold back in his condemnation, stating, “You are now 65, and for two thirds of your life, you presented to the world a picture of respectability that was a lie because the reality is you have been a predatory paedophile.”
He further described Thomas as a “committed paedophile” whose actions had left emotional scars on numerous women and girls, with consequences that would likely persist into the future. The court’s verdict underscored the severity of Thomas’s crimes and the lasting damage inflicted upon his victims, highlighting the importance of justice in cases of such heinous abuse.