LEONARD WOOD OF LITHERLAND SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS FOR ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRL IN LITHERLAND
| Red Rose Database
Litherland Rapist
In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Litherland, Leonard Wood was sentenced to a lengthy prison term after being found guilty of multiple heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of a young girl. The incident, which spanned nearly a decade, culminated in a conviction that has left many residents appalled and seeking justice for the victim.
In February 2021, the court heard how Wood, a resident of Bark Road in Litherland, engaged in a series of abusive acts against a girl who was between the ages of 11 and 15 at the time. The victim, now an adult, reported the abuse, which she endured over several years, revealing the extent of the trauma inflicted upon her. Despite her testimony, Wood attempted to dismiss the allegations, claiming that the girl had initiated the encounters and that some of the recordings were of consensual activity when she was older.
However, the evidence presented in court painted a different picture. Police investigations uncovered a trove of incriminating material during a search of Wood’s home. Among the items recovered were camcorder cassettes stored in the loft of his residence. One of these tapes appeared to have been deliberately destroyed, but a detective managed to repair it, revealing disturbing footage of Wood himself filming acts of sexual assault and molestation involving the young girl.
Wood’s defense admitted to only two charges of making indecent photographs of a child, claiming these recordings depicted consensual acts when the girl was 16 or 17. He denied all other allegations, asserting that the abuse shown in the videos was from a single occasion when the girl was above the age of consent. Nevertheless, the prosecution successfully demonstrated that this was false. They pointed out differences in clothing, lighting, and background décor in the videos, which indicated that the recordings were made at different times when the girl was between 13 and 15 years old. The victim’s own account corroborated this, stating she was between 13 and 15 during the abuse.
Prosecutor David Polglase highlighted key details from the evidence, noting that in one of the clips, a song was playing in the background—possibly from a television or radio—and that advertisements for movies could be heard. The timing of these films’ release and their screening in cinemas coincided with the girl’s age of 14, further undermining Wood’s claims of consensual activity at a later date. Wood attempted to justify the recordings as mere coincidences, claiming he was simply recording songs to learn them for his band and that the girl had suggested filming the videos. He also claimed ignorance about how the cassette had been damaged and hidden away in his loft.
After a thorough trial, Leonard Wood was convicted of 11 counts of rape, which involved at least 36 separate instances of sexual assault. These included a disturbing incident when the girl was just 11 or 12 years old, as well as numerous assaults from ages 13 through her early adulthood. Additionally, he was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault, relating to at least 11 attacks during her childhood, between the ages of 11 and 13.
The victim, in a heartfelt statement read aloud in court, expressed the profound impact of the abuse, stating, “I never had a childhood I was supposed to have.” Throughout the proceedings, Wood, who previously had a conviction for benefit fraud in 2004, showed no visible emotion as her words were delivered.
Judge Brandon addressed Wood directly, emphasizing the devastating and long-lasting effects of his actions. He stated, “It’s not an overstatement to say your actions had a devastating impact upon her for decades and she continues to suffer the consequences of the harm you did to her.”
As the sentence was handed down, Wood was seen rolling his eyes in a display of defiance. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with an additional one-year extension on license, designated as “an offender of particular concern.” The judge ordered that Wood serve a minimum of two-thirds of his sentence—16 years—before being eligible for parole, ensuring that he remains incarcerated for a significant period to come.
In February 2021, the court heard how Wood, a resident of Bark Road in Litherland, engaged in a series of abusive acts against a girl who was between the ages of 11 and 15 at the time. The victim, now an adult, reported the abuse, which she endured over several years, revealing the extent of the trauma inflicted upon her. Despite her testimony, Wood attempted to dismiss the allegations, claiming that the girl had initiated the encounters and that some of the recordings were of consensual activity when she was older.
However, the evidence presented in court painted a different picture. Police investigations uncovered a trove of incriminating material during a search of Wood’s home. Among the items recovered were camcorder cassettes stored in the loft of his residence. One of these tapes appeared to have been deliberately destroyed, but a detective managed to repair it, revealing disturbing footage of Wood himself filming acts of sexual assault and molestation involving the young girl.
Wood’s defense admitted to only two charges of making indecent photographs of a child, claiming these recordings depicted consensual acts when the girl was 16 or 17. He denied all other allegations, asserting that the abuse shown in the videos was from a single occasion when the girl was above the age of consent. Nevertheless, the prosecution successfully demonstrated that this was false. They pointed out differences in clothing, lighting, and background décor in the videos, which indicated that the recordings were made at different times when the girl was between 13 and 15 years old. The victim’s own account corroborated this, stating she was between 13 and 15 during the abuse.
Prosecutor David Polglase highlighted key details from the evidence, noting that in one of the clips, a song was playing in the background—possibly from a television or radio—and that advertisements for movies could be heard. The timing of these films’ release and their screening in cinemas coincided with the girl’s age of 14, further undermining Wood’s claims of consensual activity at a later date. Wood attempted to justify the recordings as mere coincidences, claiming he was simply recording songs to learn them for his band and that the girl had suggested filming the videos. He also claimed ignorance about how the cassette had been damaged and hidden away in his loft.
After a thorough trial, Leonard Wood was convicted of 11 counts of rape, which involved at least 36 separate instances of sexual assault. These included a disturbing incident when the girl was just 11 or 12 years old, as well as numerous assaults from ages 13 through her early adulthood. Additionally, he was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault, relating to at least 11 attacks during her childhood, between the ages of 11 and 13.
The victim, in a heartfelt statement read aloud in court, expressed the profound impact of the abuse, stating, “I never had a childhood I was supposed to have.” Throughout the proceedings, Wood, who previously had a conviction for benefit fraud in 2004, showed no visible emotion as her words were delivered.
Judge Brandon addressed Wood directly, emphasizing the devastating and long-lasting effects of his actions. He stated, “It’s not an overstatement to say your actions had a devastating impact upon her for decades and she continues to suffer the consequences of the harm you did to her.”
As the sentence was handed down, Wood was seen rolling his eyes in a display of defiance. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with an additional one-year extension on license, designated as “an offender of particular concern.” The judge ordered that Wood serve a minimum of two-thirds of his sentence—16 years—before being eligible for parole, ensuring that he remains incarcerated for a significant period to come.