NICHOLAS PACKER OF PORTBURY SENTENCED FOR ABUSE OF VICTIMS INCLUDING SURVIVOR FROM PORTISHEAD

In August 2012, a harrowing case of childhood sexual abuse culminated in the conviction and sentencing of Nicholas Packer, a 65-year-old man from Mill Lane, Portbury. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing history of abuse spanning over a decade, involving multiple victims from the Portbury and Portishead areas.

One of the victims, a woman now aged 41 and originally from Portishead, courageously shared her story publicly for the first time. She disclosed that she was subjected to sexual abuse by her stepfather, Nicholas Packer, starting when she was just eight years old. The abuse continued for nine years, leaving deep scars that would influence her entire life. Her testimony was instrumental in securing the conviction, which resulted in Packer being sentenced to 11 years in prison for 14 counts of sexual abuse, gross indecency, and indecent assaults committed against her and three other girls between 1971 and 1987.

The court also ordered Packer to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely, a measure aimed at monitoring his activities post-release. The case was further complicated by the involvement of her mother, Anne Packer, who was convicted of one count of assault. During the assault, she was found guilty of holding her daughter down while Nicholas Packer whipped her with a stick, an act that compounded the trauma experienced by the young girl.

The survivor, who has since been married twice and has four children, expressed her hope that her story would inspire others suffering in silence to come forward. She emphasized the importance of breaking the taboo surrounding childhood sexual abuse, stating, “It’s not something I wanted to talk about but it has become a lot easier and I hope that because of it more people will have the courage to speak up instead of holding onto misplaced loyalty.”

She also reflected on her long silence, revealing that she did not disclose her abuse until she was 39 years old. Her decision was driven by a desire to establish a relationship with her mother, who was then 59 and also from Mill Lane. However, her hopes were dashed when her mother received only a three-month suspended sentence on August 22, a verdict that left her feeling disappointed and heartbroken. “All I have ever wanted all my life was my mum to be a mum to me and I had always kept the faith that things would change, and did lots of things for her to get her to love me but all of it was in vain,” she lamented.

Her revelation and subsequent police report led to a mental health crisis, including a mental breakdown that has prevented her from working since. For over 30 years, she kept her secret to protect her younger half-siblings, who grew up with a normal relationship with their parents. The truth only came to light after her husband, Mark, disclosed her abuse to her half-sister a few years prior, which finally gave her the courage to report the crimes.

Detective Constable Ian Prideaux was recognized by Judge Ian Pringle with a Judge’s Commendation for his exceptional efforts in bringing the case to court. He remarked, “This case took more than two years of my life and I got to know everybody involved. This was a really difficult offence to investigate because there is no forensic evidence, you are relying on people’s memories. I am so pleased for Karyn and the other victims, it means they can now begin the healing process.”

Looking ahead, the survivor, who works as a seamstress, hopes to return to her profession and move forward with her life. She has also reconnected with her biological father through social media and has found another half-brother. Her advocacy extends beyond her personal healing; she aims to raise awareness about child abuse and supports initiatives to develop medications that could prevent paedophiles from acting on their urges. She explained, “Paedophilia is a cross-wiring of the brain and it can’t be cured until sexual urges have gone. Once a paedophile, always a paedophile, it doesn’t matter how long a sentence they serve, those urges stay with them until they die. The only way to protect the community effectively is to use this jab as part of their punishment.”