MARK DAVIES FROM FENTON SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS FOR CHILD RAPE IN STOKE-ON-TRENT

In September 2016, Mark Davies, a man from Fenton, was sentenced to a seven-year prison term after being convicted of multiple serious sexual offenses involving a young girl. The crimes, which spanned several years during Davies's teenage years, involved repeated acts of sexual assault and rape against the victim, who was a minor at the time.

Davies, now 39 years old, had engaged in a pattern of abuse that only came to light many years later when the victim, now an adult, chose to report the incidents. The victim sought help through counselling, as she had been suffering from depression, nightmares, and flashbacks related to the abuse she endured. Her decision to come forward was motivated by a desire to move on with her life and to regain her sense of self after years of suffering in silence.

During the court proceedings at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, prosecutor Guy Mathieson detailed the disturbing nature of the abuse. He explained that Davies would often isolate the girl, getting her alone to carry out his acts. The prosecutor stated, “He used to get her to touch him and he would touch her,” highlighting the manipulative and predatory behavior of the defendant. The abuse escalated to the point where Davies made the girl perform a sexual act on him, and he ultimately raped her.

It was revealed that Davies's criminal history included a previous conviction for attempted rape in 2000, which resulted in a 30-month prison sentence. Despite this prior conviction, he was released and later committed these more serious offenses. At the time of the recent trial, Davies pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and six counts of indecent assault, acknowledging his guilt and thereby sparing the victim from having to testify in court.

Joanne Wallbanks, representing Davies, argued that his guilty pleas had alleviated some of the trauma for the victim by avoiding a lengthy trial. She also pointed out that the attempted rape conviction from 2000 was unrelated to the recent offenses and emphasized that Davies's abusive behavior occurred when he was a teenager. She stated, “This happened when my client was a teenager and has not been repeated towards children. The court can be satisfied he is not a risk to children.”

Judge Timothy Smith sentenced Davies to a term of seven years in prison. The judge made it clear that Davies would only be released when the parole board deemed him suitable. Additionally, Davies will be registered as a sex offender indefinitely and is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults. Addressing Davies directly, Judge Smith remarked, “You would get her alone and you would abuse her. When the abuse started, you were 14 and relatively immature. There may have been an element of going through puberty and engaging in sexual experimentation. For many years, she had to deal with what you did to her without support. The rapes were committed when you were 16 and 17, at a time when your maturity would have increased.”

Davies's crimes have left a lasting impact on his victim, and his sentencing underscores the serious nature of his offenses and the ongoing efforts of the justice system to protect vulnerable individuals from sexual abuse.