PAUL BAYLISS HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IN HEDNESFORD AND WARWICK CROWN COURT

In December 2014, a deeply disturbing case unfolded involving Paul Bayliss, a man from Hednesford, Staffordshire, who was convicted of heinous crimes against a young boy. The victim, now 26 years old, has bravely broken his silence to recount the years of suffering inflicted upon him by Bayliss, a man who once presented himself as a clairvoyant and spiritualist.

Bayliss, a former bodybuilder turned spiritualist, gained trust among young believers by offering readings from the back of his car. However, beneath this facade lay a dark secret. The man, aged 56 at the time of sentencing, was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault on a minor and four counts of rape. His crimes, which spanned from when the victim was just 13 until he was 16, have left indelible scars.

Bayliss, who also owns a building company, faced justice after a retrial at Warwick Crown Court in Warwick, following an initial trial at Stafford Crown Court in March that ended without a verdict. During the retrial, the jury deliberated for two days before reaching a guilty verdict. Bayliss, who had previously claimed that a chronic back injury rendered him a sexual invalid, gave his name as Paul Bayliss-Sambrook, in memory of his deceased mother.

The victim, who now has his own child, provided crucial testimony in both court proceedings, although he was shielded from direct face-to-face confrontation with his abuser. Expressing relief and a sense of justice, he said, “When I heard the verdict, I was over the moon, well and truly over the moon. I had the biggest grin on my face. I was dreading the phone call saying he had been found not guilty. But he’ll never admit what he’s done. Who’s going to admit to being a paedophile?”

He recounted how Bayliss initially preyed on him by convincing him to rub his back, a manipulation that escalated into abuse. “I’d try to push him off, but he was too strong. I was just a boy. He’d always warn me not to tell anyone,” he explained. The trauma from these experiences drastically altered his life, stripping away his childhood happiness and confidence. Once a cheerful, talkative child, he became withdrawn and struggled with anger issues, leading to expulsion from school after attacking a fellow student.

His descent into substance abuse, including cocaine and cannabis, and petty crime was compounded by multiple suicide attempts. The victim revealed that Bayliss even once offered to help him end his life, telling him, “If you want to do it, do it right,” and attaching a rope to a gable end, leaving marks around his neck.

Expressing intense hatred for his abuser, the victim admitted, “I still think about sticking him in the back of a van and super-gluing him to a chair, ripping out his nails and teeth. Gouging out his eyes, cutting off his fingers. That is how much I hate the man.” Since turning 16, he has only encountered Bayliss twice—once while driving, which nearly caused him to lose control, and once in Lichfield town centre, where he unexpectedly saw him again.

Haunted by his childhood trauma, the young man finally reported the abuse to police two years prior to the court proceedings. He praised Staffordshire Police, especially Detective Constable John Wincott, for their support. Despite the conviction, he feels that justice has not been fully served. “He’ll be out in seven years, and that is nowhere near long enough,” he said. “I keep on wondering if there are more victims out there. I remember him as smug, and he was smug in court. To him, money was everything. Fourteen years seems like a long time, but he’s given me a lifetime of pain and anger. That sentence won’t come to an end.”

Bayliss’s sentencing underscores the severity of his crimes, which have left a lasting impact on his victim’s life. The case highlights the importance of vigilance and the need for justice in protecting vulnerable children from predators hiding behind seemingly trustworthy facades.