KENNETH LAMM OF LLANDAFF ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE SEXUAL ABUSE CASE IN CARDIFF

In a case that has spanned over four decades, Kenneth Lamm, a 72-year-old man from Llandaff, has avoided imprisonment despite admitting to a series of serious sexual offences committed against a young boy in Cardiff during the early 1960s.

Lamm, who is now confined to a wheelchair and considered too frail to serve time in prison, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court to plead guilty to three counts of indecent assault and one count of a serious sexual offence. The offences, which took place between 1960 and 1962, remained hidden for many years because the victim was overwhelmed by shame and fear, preventing him from coming forward earlier.

The court was told that Lamm, a milkman based in Whitchurch, had developed a close relationship with his young victim, an eight-year-old boy, and would take him along on his milk rounds. Prosecutor Daniel Williams recounted that by the summer of 1960, the two had grown quite close, with Lamm inviting the boy on a trip to the seaside.

The first incident of abuse reportedly occurred after they returned from a visit to Southerndown beach, when Lamm took the boy to his home. The victim felt a mixture of embarrassment, shock, and guilt, but Lamm threatened him, warning that if he told anyone, he would get into trouble with the police.

As time went on, the abuse became more frequent and increasingly severe, with the victim suffering ongoing trauma. The disturbing pattern was only broken when the boy’s mother discovered her son and Lamm in a partially undressed state at her residence.

The repercussions of these assaults have haunted the victim throughout his life. Prosecutor Morgan Jenkins highlighted that the victim has endured health issues, including dermatological problems caused by attempts to cleanse himself with bleach and disinfectants, stemming from feelings of dirtiness and shame.

Lamm’s arrest earlier this year was prompted after the victim disclosed the abuse to a mental health worker, leading to his eventual court appearance.

During the hearing, Lamm’s defense lawyer emphasized his remorse, stating, “Lamm’s shame is equal to his remorse. He recognizes the impact his actions had on a young man he liked. But he is now a paraplegic and will end his days in a wheelchair – his liberty is already constrained.”

Judge John Griffith Williams QC sentenced Lamm to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay £800 in costs. The judge expressed that Lamm’s age and physical condition played a significant role in the decision, noting, “You used your victim for your sexual gratification and for 40 years he has had to live with the shame and with the disagreeable physical symptoms from that abuse. If the victim had reported your crimes then or in the 1970s or 1980s, you would have gone to prison for a long time. But you are too old and frail for the prison service.”

Additionally, Lamm will be required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years, a measure intended to monitor his conduct moving forward.