SANDY COSBURN'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN PLYMOUTH: THIRD TIME JAIL FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES
In a case that has shocked the community of Plymouth, Sandy Cosburn, a 59-year-old man with a disturbing history of child sexual offenses, has been denied a reduction in his prison sentence after a series of heinous crimes committed decades ago.The court proceedings, which culminated in a ruling by London’s Appeal Court, reaffirmed the severity of Cosburn’s actions and the lasting impact on his victims.
Cosburn’s most recent conviction stems from an incident that took place nearly thirty years ago, during the 1980s, when he was in his twenties.
The victim, a young girl aged ten at the time, was subjected to a horrifying assault after Cosburn lured her into his Devonport home under the guise of showing her his animals.
The girl, who was visiting with her sister and a friend after playing on Granby Green, was led into a bathroom that lacked a lock.
As she attempted to use the toilet, she noticed someone was behind the door, and the handle began to move.
In that moment, Cosburn molested her for several minutes, an assault that left deep scars.
The court heard that after the attack, Cosburn thanked her and called her a “good girl,” a chilling detail that underscored his predatory nature.
The victim kept her ordeal secret for many years, suffering in silence until she finally disclosed the abuse to police in 2011.
The long-term effects of this trauma were eloquently described by the victim during court proceedings, highlighting the profound and enduring impact of Cosburn’s actions.
Cosburn’s criminal record is extensive.
He previously served two months in jail in 1986 for a similar assault on a young girl, and in 2005, he admitted to sexually assaulting another girl in the 1980s, resulting in a three-year prison sentence.
His address was listed as Kitter Drive, Staddiscombe, at the time of his earlier court appearances.
Last year, Judge Francis Gilbert QC sentenced Cosburn to 43 months in prison for the latest offense, emphasizing that Cosburn could have admitted to this crime during his previous sentences but chose to conceal it.
The court also noted that Cosburn’s initial sentencing unfairly credited him with good character, despite evidence of his predatory behavior.
The appeal judges, including Mr Justice Simon, Lady Justice Rafferty, and Mrs Justice Carr, dismissed Cosburn’s challenge to his sentence, stating that the punishment was appropriate given the harm inflicted and his culpability.
During the appeal, Cosburn’s legal representative, Jo Martin, argued that the sentence did not adequately reflect that the assault was part of an ongoing pattern of offending in the 1980s, for which Cosburn had already been punished.
However, the judges firmly rejected this, asserting that the original sentence was justified and that any significant reduction would fail to account for the severity of the crime and its impact on the victim.
In a related case from June 2012, Cosburn was jailed for a third time for abusing young girls.
The victim from that incident, who had sought counselling in 2004 and disclosed the abuse to her family before reporting it to police in 2011, expressed relief at the sentence, stating, “I have spent 27 years with a demon, but it gives me strength to know it’s finished.
He’s not the scary person I remembered; he’s insignificant.” Prosecutor Jason Beal detailed that Cosburn had made five previous court appearances, including a two-month sentence in 1986 and a three-year term in 2005.
He was already on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and subject to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
Cosburn initially denied the charges but pleaded guilty on the day of his trial, May 14.
Judge Gilbert sentenced Cosburn to four years in prison, with a five-month reduction for his late guilty plea, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing suffering of his victims.
The court’s decision reflects a firm stance on protecting children and holding offenders accountable, especially those with a long history of predatory behavior in Plymouth and beyond.
