MARTIN BRICK FROM PAIGNTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN EXETER

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community, Martin Brick, a 51-year-old handyman from Paignton, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of multiple serious offenses involving a young girl. The case was heard at Exeter Crown Court, where the judge described the impact of Brick’s actions as profoundly damaging and horrifying.

Brick’s crimes date back to the 1990s when he was working at the girl’s family home in Paignton. Over the course of eight years, he groomed the young girl, who was only ten years old at the time, gradually gaining her trust before subjecting her to repeated sexual assaults. These assaults not only left her physically scarred but also inflicted deep psychological wounds that have persisted into her adult life.

The victim, now an adult, delivered a powerful and emotional victim impact statement during the trial. She recounted how her childhood was marred by her experiences, describing a life of isolation from her family and peers. She revealed that while other children her age talked about typical childhood interests such as Barbie dolls and sleepovers, her only reality was abuse at the hands of Brick. Her suffering led her to self-harm, including carving a message of self-hate into her thigh with a knife, and she has been receiving ongoing treatment for anxiety and depression.

In court, the judge, Phillip Wassall, expressed his condemnation of Brick’s actions, emphasizing the severe emotional damage inflicted. He stated, “I found her victim impact statement completely shocking but also not surprising, having seen her giving evidence. It brought home what you did to this girl and the emotional damage you caused. She spoke of a childhood isolated from her family and feeling useless. You changed her life and led her into serious self-harm because you made her feel dirty, cheap, and unable to communicate with people of her own age. She even withdrew from the classroom because she could not deal with it. She grew up disassociated from her own age group and unable to make friends. When she says you ruined her life, that is not an overstatement. It summarises what you have done to her.”

Prosecutor Gareth Evans detailed how Brick’s grooming began when he was working at the girl’s parents’ house in Paignton during the 1990s. Brick exploited his position by abusing her at their residence while babysitting, and even in his Reliant Robin three-wheeler vehicle. He also arranged for her to have a part-time job as a carer, which allowed him to continue his abuse under the guise of giving her a lift to work. The victim’s statement, read aloud in court, described how Brick manipulated her, leading her to feel unable to communicate with other children and to suffer from self-harm scars.

She expressed her pain, saying, “He manipulated and changed me. I could not communicate with other children. They would be talking about Barbie dolls and chatting about clothes and sleepovers. All I knew was this older man touching me and hurting me and making me hurt myself. I simply cannot get back the time he took off me. Time he took off me for his own pleasure.”

The victim also shared her ongoing struggles, including her difficulty in securing employment after leaving school without qualifications, her deep mistrust of men, and her continued treatment for mental health issues. Her life has been profoundly affected by Brick’s actions, and her scars—both physical and emotional—serve as a stark reminder of the lasting damage caused by his abuse.

During the hearing, Brick’s defense attorney, Miss Emily Pitts, argued that Brick did not target the girl intentionally for abuse. She explained that Brick had met her by chance while working as a handyman for her parents and that he had not sought to establish a relationship with the family for the purpose of abusing her. Instead, she suggested that Brick’s involvement with the girl was opportunistic, arising from circumstances rather than premeditation.

Judge Wassall, however, was unequivocal in his sentencing, condemning Brick’s betrayal and the profound harm he inflicted. The 18-year prison term reflects the gravity of his crimes and the lasting impact on his victim, who continues to struggle with the aftermath of her abuse in Paignton and beyond.