MARK CAMPBELL FROM DONNINGTON SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR SEX ATTACKS IN BOGNOR REGIS AND CHICHESTER

In a case that has shocked the West Sussex community, Mark Campbell, a 38-year-old welder residing in Grenville Gardens, Donnington, has been sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction for a series of heinous sexual offenses committed across the Bognor Regis and Chichester areas. The crimes, which spanned from 1998 to 2004, included multiple counts of rape, indecent assault, attempted sexual assault, and burglaries, revealing a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior.

Campbell's criminal activities involved targeting vulnerable young women and girls, often in their own homes or secluded locations within the region. His modus operandi was particularly sinister; he would clandestinely enter bedrooms, sometimes during his night shifts, and tie up his victims with their own clothing before observing them for a few moments—an unsettling perversion known as 'scopophilia'—before sexually assaulting them. These attacks left deep psychological scars on the victims, some of whom were as young as 15.

The first known incident for which Campbell was charged occurred in February 1998, involving an indecent assault on a 27-year-old mother of three in Bognor Regis. Over the next several years, he committed four more sex offenses, culminating in a brutal rape in May 2000 of a 21-year-old woman in the staff quarters of a luxury hotel near Bognor Regis, which he had broken into. His escalation in violence and audacity marked a dark chapter in his criminal history.

Despite his mounting offenses, Campbell maintained his innocence throughout the trial. The court was informed that he was convicted of three rapes, five indecent assaults, one attempted sexual assault, and two burglaries, all committed between February 1998 and August 2004. The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 12 years, minus the time he had already served in custody. The court also revealed that Campbell was engaged to be married at the time of his sentencing; he had met his fiancée, Katherine, a nursery nurse aged 33, in a nightclub in 1999, and they had ordered wedding rings on May 6, 2000, just a day after his hotel assault.

One of the most troubling aspects of this case was a significant police error that allowed Campbell to remain at large for four years. Prosecutor Christine Laing explained that Campbell was arrested in 2002 on suspicion of a 'peeping Tom' offense, but due to an administrative oversight, his DNA swab was not sent for analysis until four years later. She emphasized that this delay did not affect the evidential strength of the DNA match but did prolong the period during which Campbell was free to commit further offenses. The police acknowledged their mistake, with Sussex Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jeremy Paine expressing regret and stating that lessons had been learned to prevent such errors in the future.

One of Campbell’s victims, now aged 19, recounted her trauma in court. She was only 12 when she was falsely imprisoned while walking home from school. She described her ongoing emotional struggles, saying, 'If I have a good time, I totally forget about it but sometimes it comes back to me and scares me.' She also shared her pain of pleading with Campbell during the attack, asking, 'I’m only 12, why are you doing this?' Her testimony underscored the profound and lasting impact of Campbell’s actions.

Judge William Wood QC addressed the court, highlighting the severe harm inflicted upon the victims. He remarked, 'It is difficult to exaggerate the degree of harm done. In each case, the victim has been profoundly affected by the trauma.' The judge emphasized Campbell’s awareness of the consequences of his actions, noting, 'The culpability in my judgment is extreme because you have a wife at home. It is not the case that you are some sad and lonely man with no roots or home to go to and of who it might be said that he could have been unaware of the consequences to a woman. You must have known what it meant to these women.'

Campbell was informed that he would serve a minimum of 10 years before being eligible for parole, marking a significant chapter in the pursuit of justice for his victims and a stark reminder of the importance of diligent police work in preventing such tragedies.