Clayton Ball

A holiday camp chef has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of raping two teenage girls he met while working near Burnham. Clayton Ball, 25, targeted the 15-year-old holidaymakers during his shifts at a fish and chip shop in a holiday camp. The offences occurred in 2005, with Ball using violence and bondage to assault the victims in his caravan.

According to court proceedings at Taunton Crown Court, one of the girls believed she was in a relationship with Ball and visited his caravan for what she thought would be affectionate encounters. Instead, Ball tied her hands with a belt, blindfolded her with a bandana, and raped her. The second girl had initially engaged in consensual intercourse with Ball twice in June 2005, during which he spoke of marrying her. However, four months later, he escalated the situation by tying her with his belt and attempting to restrain her with pink-furred handcuffs before raping her. Prosecutor Nicolas Gerasimidis described how both victims went to the caravan expecting kisses and cuddles, but Ball 'went far beyond that and raped them using a combination of violence and bondage'.

Ball fled before his trial, leading to a national manhunt. He was tried in his absence in September and convicted on two counts of rape, as well as two charges of sexual activity with a child. He was found not guilty on a third rape charge on the judge's direction and had previously admitted to possessing five indecent images of children. Ball was arrested on the Isle of Wight and brought before the court on 5 November, where His Honour David Smith QC, sitting as a deputy circuit judge, confirmed the 12-year sentence imposed earlier. The judge described the case as 'distressing and sad' and stated that it 'called for severe penalties', upholding the original sentencing of six years per rape count to run consecutively, with concurrent 18-month terms for the other offences.

Defence counsel Alan Large argued for a reduction, citing a psychiatrist's report that portrayed Ball as a 'rather sad lonely man working hard, but with not much of a social life', and noting his previous good character. However, the court deemed the sentence appropriate. The case was reported by the Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News, highlighting the severity of the sexual offences against minors.