PAUL HIGNETT SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN WREXHAM
In November 2017, a serious and disturbing case unfolded at Mold Crown Court involving Paul Hignett, a man from Wrexham, who was convicted of a series of heinous sexual offences committed against a young girl.The court heard that Hignett, aged 62 and a former miner residing on Station Road in Rhostyllen, Wrexham, had engaged in a pattern of indecent assaults and acts of indecency with a child spanning over two decades.
Despite vehemently denying the allegations, Hignett was found guilty by a jury of 12 charges, including indecent assault and acts of indecency with a minor.
The offences dated back approximately 20 years, and the victim, now a woman in her 30s, had endured a long and painful journey of recovery.
The court was told that the victim had struggled to come to terms with the trauma inflicted upon her during her childhood.
Judge Rhys Rowlands addressed Hignett directly during the sentencing, expressing his belief that the defendant had previously believed he had evaded justice.
The judge remarked, “You realise that your past, sadly for you, has caught up with you.
You are now going to have to answer for your depraved behaviour as a younger man.” The judge emphasized the gravity of the offences and the impact they had on the victim’s life.
Hignett was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subjected to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
The judge highlighted that Hignett had shown no remorse throughout the proceedings and continued to deny the offences, which he described as a grave failure to understand the harm caused.
Addressing the victim’s suffering, Judge Rowlands stated, “The victim was very young when the offences happened, and Hignett had no comprehension of the proper way to behave as a grown man towards a child, or of the harm he caused her.
It can be said that you have managed to live a pretty normal life for many years while on the other hand your victim has had to deal and live with what you did to her as a child.” Prosecutor Anna Price presented a victim impact statement, revealing the profound and lasting effects of Hignett’s actions.
The woman, now in her 30s, described her childhood as “horrible” and said that her innocence had been stolen.
She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and expressed regret that her life could have been different had she not been subjected to Hignett’s abuse.
She also conveyed her feelings of hatred towards him for the suffering he caused.
The statement detailed how the trauma affected her mental health and trust in others, complicating her relationships and leading her to become overly protective of her own children.
Despite these hardships, she expressed a sense of relief and hope that she could finally begin to move forward after the jury’s verdicts.
The court’s decision reflects the seriousness with which such offences are regarded and the importance of justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse.
