STEPHEN PHILLIPS FROM KIDSGROVE JAILED FOR CHILD RAPE IN STOKE-ON-TRENT

In June 2017, Stephen Phillips, a 40-year-old man from Kidsgrove, was sentenced to prison after being convicted of raping a young girl more than a decade earlier. The disturbing case came to light when the victim, now an adult, recognized Phillips in a pub and confronted him, leading her to report the assault to police.

Phillips, who resided on Chatterley Drive in Kidsgrove, had committed the heinous acts while working at a McDonald's branch in Stoke-on-Trent. The offences involved the sexual abuse of a schoolgirl, which took place over ten years prior to the conviction. Despite the passage of time, the victim’s courage in coming forward was instrumental in bringing Phillips to justice.

The court heard that Phillips, in his twenties at the time of the assault, engaged in a series of sexual acts against the young girl. Prosecutor Jonathan Dickinson detailed the events, stating, “These offences were committed on the same night. She says the defendant began by stroking her leg before sexually assaulting her. Nothing was said. She described herself as being frozen.”

According to the prosecution, Phillips then proceeded to rape the girl. The victim, despite initially feeling paralyzed by fear, managed to struggle and push him away during the assault. The court was informed that Phillips left his job at McDonald's shortly after the incident.

The victim did not report the crime immediately but encountered Phillips again in a pub in 2014. She recognized him and confronted him directly, asking, “Are you still messing with kids?” Phillips reportedly hung his head and replied, “No not any more.” This interaction prompted her to report the matter to the police in January 2015.

In her statement read to the court, the victim expressed her emotional struggles, saying, “I’ve tried to just push it to the back of my mind. For years, I was ashamed. Going to stand up in court is the most scary, daunting thing in my life. Now I’ve got my life back. I’m no longer a victim. I can finally move on with my life and put all this behind me.”

Defense lawyer Adam Watkins argued that Phillips had no prior history of similar behaviour and emphasized that the assault appeared to have been committed within seconds. He also highlighted Phillips’ contributions to the church community, suggesting that this incident was an isolated event.

Judge David Fletcher sentenced Phillips to seven years in prison, stating, “It was your sexual urges getting the better of you that particular night. The rape is a very serious offence. This was not specifically grooming behaviour. I take the view this is a one-off offence.” The judge also ordered Phillips to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life, underscoring the gravity of his crime and its impact on the victim.