PHILIP CHARD OF LYMPSTONE, DEVON, CONVICTED OF CHILD RAPE DESPITE SUPPORT FROM RETIRED HIGH COURT JUDGE LADY BUTLER-SLOSS

In September 2015, Philip Chard, a man from Lympstone, Devon, was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl after a trial at Exeter Crown Court. The victim reported that Chard, who was 44 at the time, entered her bedroom and, after initially touching her over her nightclothes, returned to force himself upon her. She described feeling her mind going blank and experiencing feelings of anger, shock, fright, and confusion.

Chard was found guilty of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child, but acquitted of four other similar charges. Judge Erik Salomonsen sentenced him to seven years in prison for the rape, with an additional year for the sexual activity charge, to run concurrently. The judge remarked that Chard "could not resist a very attractive 13-year-old girl" and that he "became increasingly attracted to her." While the judge did not reference Lady Butler-Sloss during sentencing, he described Chard as a man "who has merits."

Lady Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, a retired High Court judge and now a member of the House of Lords, had given supporting character evidence for Chard during the trial. She stated she was "astonished by the allegations" and found it improbable that Chard was a sex offender, given her 34 years of experience mainly dealing with sexual and physical abuse cases. She knew Chard because his mother cleaned at her Devon country house.

Her support was based on her knowledge of Chard before the allegations, as she explained, "I mainly gave factual evidence about the days on which his mother worked for me," and denied giving general character references. She also clarified that her recent evidence was not character evidence but factual, based on her knowledge of him from before the accusations.

This detailed support and her previous character evidence, including in an earlier trial for assault when Chard was a nightclub bouncer, drew criticism from some quarters—particularly from the victim's family. They expressed anger that Butler-Sloss had previously backed Chard in court, noting her status and influence.

Chard's criminal history includes a 2007 conviction for causing grievous bodily harm to another individual, Daniel Potter, during an altercation at a club in Exmouth. Potter suffered a fractured jaw and other injuries after Chard ejected him for falling asleep on a sofa, with Butler-Sloss describing Chard at that time as "a sensible, calm and very pleasant young man" and expressing her respect for him.

Following the rape conviction, the victim's family voiced their displeasure, questioning Butler-Sloss's involvement. When asked why she testified despite his prior violence conviction, Butler-Sloss clarified that she provided factual testimony about his character during her earlier engagement, and not in the recent trial.

In August 2015, prior to the conviction, Butler-Sloss had been publicly associated with the planned government inquiry into historical child abuse allegations involving VIPs. She was appointed to head the inquiry but stepped down due to a conflict of interest related to her brother, Sir Michael Havers, who served as attorney general during the 1980s. The inquiry was subsequently led by Dame Lowell Goddard.

Throughout the trial, Chard consistently denied the allegations, stating he was watching television and went to bed when the sexual assault was supposed to have occurred. Nevertheless, the court found the evidence from the young girl credible enough to convict him.