MARK STANDHAVEN FROM BRADFORD JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
In September 2013, a disturbing case unfolded at Bradford Crown Court involving Mark Standhaven, a 34-year-old bus driver from Bradford, who was sentenced to 20 months in prison for sexually abusing a vulnerable and troubled 14-year-old girl.The court heard that Standhaven's actions left the young victim feeling overwhelmed with despair, even to the point of contemplating suicide, after he molested her on two separate occasions within the same day.
Judge David Hatton QC addressed Standhaven directly, noting the significant age difference of 20 years between the offender and his young victim.
The judge remarked, “You now finally have accepted that this activity was entirely your doing and you do not seek to blame anyone else.” Standhaven, who was previously residing on Buttershaw Drive in Buttershaw, Bradford, was taken into custody immediately following his arrest.
The court was informed that he had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of sexual activity with the girl.
Prosecutor Andrew Kershaw provided details of the case, revealing that Standhaven initially engaged in a seemingly innocent act of cuddling the girl before progressing to abuse.
Following the incidents, Standhaven took painkillers and contacted the police, confessing his guilt.
Mr.
Kershaw emphasized the profound psychological damage inflicted upon the young girl, describing her as a “vulnerable and troubled adolescent.” At the time of his arrest, Standhaven was employed as a bus driver.
The prosecutor also mentioned that there was some background information suggesting inappropriate behavior towards girls on the bus, raising concerns about his conduct in his professional environment.
During mitigation, defense lawyer Ash Mahmood acknowledged that Standhaven had admitted to the offences and accepted full responsibility.
Mahmood expressed that his client was remorseful, stating, “He wishes to apologise profoundly and cannot explain why this happened.” Despite the gravity of his actions, Standhaven was unaware of any issues related to his employment and expressed a desire to return to work once he was able.
Judge Hatton noted that Standhaven had no prior convictions, neither for similar offences nor for any recent criminal activity.
The court also highlighted that the police had been alerted by Standhaven himself, but the alarm had likely been raised earlier by the girl and her family.
As part of his sentence, Standhaven was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, which required him to notify authorities of his whereabouts regularly.
Additionally, the judge imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, explicitly prohibiting him from contacting the girl in the future and restricting him from having any unsupervised contact with children or inviting them to his home.
