Michael Brian Hayes

Michael Brian Hayes, a 65-year-old resident of Hillary Close in Stamford, Lincolnshire, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for a systematic campaign of sexual abuse against three young children. The offences, which spanned from 2008 to 2015, involved two young girls and one young boy, and included six counts of rape among a total of 18 sexual charges. Hayes was found guilty following a trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

Passing sentence on 21 June 2019, Judge Simon Hirst described the abuse as 'systematic' and carried out 'purely for his own gratification'. He stated: 'Your abuse, which you carried out for your own gratification, has rightly been described as a campaign.' The judge assessed Hayes as 'dangerous' and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life. In addition to the 24-year custodial term, Hayes must serve an extended licence period of two years upon release.

Prosecutor Duncan O'Donnell outlined the devastating impact on the victims during the hearing, reading statements from two of them. The victims expressed profound anger and described episodes of self-harm resulting from the trauma inflicted by Hayes. The abuse occurred over an eight-year period, highlighting the prolonged nature of the offender's actions.

Mitigating, Mark Watson noted Hayes's poor health and history of self-harm, mentioning that he had been hospitalised shortly before the trial and was under constant watch in custody. Despite these factors, the court imposed the severe sentence reflecting the gravity of the offences. This case was reported by LincsOnline, with the article published on 21 June 2019 by journalist Suzanne Moon.