KEVIN SIMNETT FROM GREAT YARMOUTH FLEEING TO SCOTLAND CAUGHT AFTER 13 YEARS ON THE RUN

In a significant development in a long-standing case of sexual assault, Kevin Simnett, a 53-year-old man originally from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, has been apprehended in Scotland after evading law enforcement authorities for over a decade. The case dates back to 1996 when Simnett was involved in a disturbing incident involving an eight-year-old girl for whom he was acting as a babysitter in Great Yarmouth.

During that time, Simnett committed a sexual assault on the young girl, an act he later admitted to in court. Following the assault, he was advised by the offender to keep quiet about what had happened, promising her sweets in exchange for her silence. Despite the gravity of the crime, Simnett managed to evade arrest and disappeared from the public eye, effectively going into hiding.

For many years, authorities believed he might have left the Norfolk area altogether, but in recent investigations, police suspected that he was living in the vicinity of Livingstone, Scotland. This suspicion prompted a targeted operation by officers from Lothian and Borders police. To make contact with him, the officers adopted an unconventional approach, visiting a local pub where Simnett was believed to frequent. Posing as potential car buyers, the officers engaged him in conversation, which ultimately led to his arrest.

Simnett was finally brought before Norwich Crown Court, where he faced justice for his past actions. He pleaded guilty to the charge of indecent assault on the young girl and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years. The judge presiding over the case, Peter Jacobs, expressed his approval of the police's efforts in capturing Simnett after such a lengthy period of evasion. He emphasized the importance of justice and closure for the victim, stating, “You absconded and have been missing for a long time, some 13 years, and as a result of that there has not been closure for the complainant and you have evaded the course of justice.”

Prosecutor Lindsay Cox detailed the circumstances of the assault, recounting that Simnett had told the young girl not to tell anyone about what had happened and had offered her sweets as a form of coercion. Despite being released on bail after his initial arrest, Simnett chose to go into hiding, eventually relocating to Scotland.

Defense lawyer Danielle O’Donovan described the incident as a “one-off” and emphasized that Simnett had been at large for 13 years without committing further offenses. She also noted that his whereabouts had been known when he began signing on, and that when police finally made contact, Simnett voluntarily handed himself in, leading to his arrest in Scotland.