FRANCIS GILBERT'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN HANLEY AND STOKE-ON-TRENT REVEALED

In December 2014, the criminal case involving Francis Gilbert, a man from Hanley, took a significant turn as his bid to overturn a conviction was decisively rejected by a panel of three of the United Kingdom’s most senior judges. Gilbert, aged 49 at the time, had been sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison following a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court earlier that same year. The charges stemmed from two separate assaults on a young boy, which had been thoroughly examined during the proceedings.

Gilbert, who previously resided on Ridgway Road in Hanley, challenged the fairness of his trial, specifically criticizing the police interview process involving the child victim. He argued that the interview was problematic because the young boy had a notably short attention span. Despite this, the court was informed that the interview lasted approximately 29 minutes, during which the child was subjected to numerous questions. Gilbert contended that the delay between the alleged abuse, the child's interview, and the subsequent trial had caused unnecessary harm to his defense, claiming it compromised his ability to mount an effective case.

During the appeal, Gilbert urged that the trial judge should have halted proceedings once the prosecution had finished presenting its evidence. However, Mr. Justice Openshaw, delivering the court’s judgment, acknowledged that some of the questions posed to the boy were indeed lengthy and possibly challenging for a child of his age. From viewing the recorded footage, the judge observed that the victim appeared to lose focus at times and that his attention wandered during the interview. Nonetheless, the court was also informed that an intermediary had been appointed to assess whether the boy was capable of giving testimony in court. This intermediary concluded that the child was competent to be a witness, despite his young age.

Mr. Justice Openshaw emphasized that the trial judge had acted correctly in not stopping the trial at the end of the prosecution’s evidence. He stated, “The difficulty which Gilbert faced and still faces is that the boy was a competent witness,” and added, “There was no basis for him to contend to the contrary.” The judge further explained that it was appropriate for the jury to decide on the credibility of the witness and that it would have been wrong to withdraw the case from their consideration at that stage.

Additional details revealed that the boy’s mother had contacted social services and police after noticing her son’s unusual behavior. The child later disclosed to social workers that he had been attacked, and during police interviews, he made allegations of an even more serious crime. The appeal court’s judgment acknowledged that, as is often the case in such sensitive matters, the case was essentially a contest of the boy’s word against Gilbert’s denials. The jury, after considering all evidence, accepted the testimony of the young victim and rejected Gilbert’s denial. The court concluded that there was no reason to believe the verdicts were unsafe, and thus, Gilbert’s appeal was dismissed.

In a separate but related case from April 2014, Gilbert was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple sexual offenses. The court heard that Gilbert, a resident of Hanley, had committed serious crimes against both a woman and a young boy under the age of 13. He was convicted of raping the woman and sexually assaulting the boy after grooming him. The court was told that both victims had been profoundly affected by Gilbert’s actions. The woman was described as being left “completely hysterical” after the assault and was suffering from nightmares, while the young boy was described as deeply troubled and undergoing therapy.

Gilbert, who denied all charges, was convicted by two separate juries in two trials. Despite his protests of innocence, Judge David Fletcher sentenced him to 14 years for the offenses against the child and an additional four years for the attack on the woman, with the sentences to run consecutively. The judge also ordered Gilbert to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life. Addressing Gilbert directly, Judge Fletcher remarked, “You were found guilty of raping an adult female and a very young child. You continue to deny involvement, seek to blame others, and show no remorse. Your only mitigation is a lack of previous convictions.”

Following the sentencing, Staffordshire Police expressed their support for the victims and emphasized their commitment to justice. Detective Inspector Adrian Scott stated, “I hope the convictions and sentence provide some comfort to Gilbert’s two victims, who bravely spoke out about what happened to them and gave evidence. We are committed to supporting all victims of sexual abuse, no matter what their age or how long ago the offences occurred. Anyone with information about suspected sexual abuse should call us on 101.”