ROYSTON MITCHELL SENTENCED IN BRISTOL FOR HISTORICAL SEXUAL ABUSES

In August 2012, Royston Mitchell was jailed for five years after being convicted of multiple sexual offenses against a young girl. Mitchell, who was 63 at the time and residing on Ashburton Road in Southmead, suffered a heart problem during the month-long trial, which he contested alongside co-accused Darrell Cotterell and Brian Macey-Morris.

Mitchell appeared at Bristol Crown Court to receive sentencing after being found guilty of four counts of indecent assault and one charge of indecency with a child. The court established that he was guilty of improperly touching a girl as young as six and making her touch him improperly.

He denied charges of rape and nine indecency offenses involving two different girls, with allegations dating from 1977 to 1985. Co-accused Darrell Cotterell, aged 65 from Hallen Road, Henbury, denied a serious sexual assault and two rape charges involving a girl, as well as attempted rape, eight indecent assaults on another girl, and four indecency charges along with an attempted serious sexual assault involving a boy. Brian Macey-Morris, aged 72 of York Road, Montpelier, faced accusations of two attempted rapes and three indecent assaults on a girl, which he denied.

After nearly 15 hours of deliberation, a jury composed of eight men and four women returned mostly unanimous guilty verdicts. However, the judge, Recorder of Bristol Neil Ford QC, directed a not guilty verdict on one rape charge against Cotterell. The court sentenced Cotterell to 17 years in prison and Macey-Morris to seven years.

Regarding Mitchell, the judge ordered that he serve two-thirds of his five-year sentence under the applicable law for his offenses. Judge Ford stated, “The effect of you offending against her, combined with the effects of others who have committed sexual offences against her, have undoubtedly blighter her life.”

The victim, who cannot be publicly identified for legal reasons, expressed her feelings, saying, “For me, there have been no winners, although I am glad that justice has prevailed in this case. His actions and those of his co-defendants changed the course of my life. The pain and effect of this will be with me forever. I hope I can now move on.”

Mitchell's defense solicitor, Robert Duval, commented, “The jury’s verdict means justice has eventually caught up with Mr Mitchell.”