PAUL GRIFFITHS FROM WALTON SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DRUGGING SCHOOLGIRL IN MERSEYSIDE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Walton, Liverpool Crown Court has sentenced Paul Griffiths, aged 43, to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and supplying her with heroin. The court heard that Griffiths, a known drug addict, lured a 15-year-old girl back to his residence on Wilburn Street in Walton, where he administered her a Class A drug before engaging in sexual acts.

The prosecution, led by Kenneth Grant, revealed that Griffiths may have threatened the girl by claiming he had recorded their encounter, although police investigations did not recover any such footage. It is believed that this threat was intended to intimidate her into silence. The court was informed that Griffiths’s actions took place in September 2015, a period during which the victim’s life was already marred by hardship.

Throughout the trial, Griffiths maintained his innocence, denying any wrongdoing. Despite having no relevant prior convictions, the court noted that he had committed a robbery in 1995. Judge Denis Watson, QC, addressed the court, emphasizing the victim’s difficult background. He described her upbringing as “wretched,” highlighting her prolonged separation from her parents and her exposure to drug use within her family environment. The judge also pointed out that she had witnessed her parents and Griffiths using drugs in front of her and had suffered violent abuse at the hands of her father.

Judge Watson remarked that the girl had some awareness of heroin and its destructive effects, but her vulnerability was exploited by Griffiths. The court considered whether Griffiths had filmed the girl during their encounter but concluded that he might have only threatened her with the idea of recording to keep her compliant. The judge observed that the girl, eager to appear more mature, was attracted to Griffiths, who was significantly older at 42. This age gap, combined with her vulnerable state, was a key factor in the court’s judgment.

While the girl’s consent was technically given, her age and circumstances rendered her consent invalid in the eyes of the law. The court found that Griffiths’s actions were exploitative and predatory. As part of his sentence, Griffiths was also handed a nine-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with any girls under 16. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. Griffiths showed no visible emotion as the court delivered these sentences, underscoring the gravity of his crimes and the impact on the victim’s life.