Sex Offender Deported from Falkland Islands After Assault Conviction
Roland Wedgwood-Orekoya, a 32-year-old sheep shearer known as Seyi, has been removed from the Falkland Islands following his conviction for a violent sexual assault on a teenage girl. The incident, which occurred in April 2022 in Port Stanley, the capital of the South Atlantic territory, highlights the dangers posed by his transient lifestyle as a farm worker travelling between countries.
According to court proceedings reported by the Daily Record, Wedgwood-Orekoya approached his victim while she queued at a late-night burger van. The girl, who had been drinking and had recently left school, clearly indicated she was not interested in him. Despite this, Wedgwood-Orekoya offered her cannabis to lure her back to his accommodation with the intention of having sex, as stated in the court's findings. Upon arrival, he stripped naked, tore off some of her clothes, and subjected her to a sustained assault, leaving her bruised. The victim managed to escape by punching him.
- The assault was described as terrifying and involved a level of violence, with the perpetrator manhandling the vulnerable young girl.
- A probation report emphasised that his nomadic work pattern, moving from farm to farm internationally, exacerbates the risk he presents to women.
Wedgwood-Orekoya denied the charge of sexual assault but was found guilty by the court. Sentencing him to 18 months' imprisonment, Judge Malcolm Simmons remarked: "You have been assessed as being a high risk of harm to the public, namely females, especially those to whom you are sexually attracted. There was clearly a level of violence in the way you manhandled your victim. This was clearly a frightening event for her. What occurred was not a momentary touching but a sustained assault. She was living at home with her parents, having recently left school. You are a man in your thirties. You specifically targeted a particularly vulnerable victim, a young girl who you knew had been drinking. You continue to deny the offence. You have shown no remorse."
Following his release, Wedgwood-Orekoya was deported back to Scotland, where he has strong connections to Aberdeenshire. He had arrived in the Falklands in 2021, working as a shearer and in the fishing industry. Upon his return to Britain in early 2024, Police Scotland acted swiftly to mitigate the risk he poses. Last week, at Glasgow Sheriff Court, the force successfully obtained a court order compelling him to sign the sex offenders' register until 2032. This requires him to notify police of any address or name changes and subjects him to frequent monitoring.
The case underscores ongoing efforts by authorities to manage high-risk sex offenders, particularly those with itinerant lifestyles that complicate supervision. Sources close to the case, including court documents and Police Scotland statements, confirm that Wedgwood-Orekoya's history of targeting vulnerable females remains a significant concern.