Paul Friend

Paul Friend, a 56-year-old man from Stourport, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for historical child sex offences that occurred between 1979 and 1984. The offences, which involved two victims under the age of 14, included counts of indecency with a child and indecent assault. Friend initially denied 12 such charges when he appeared before Worcester magistrates in 2018, but hours before his scheduled trial at Hereford Crown Court in July 2019, he changed his pleas to guilty on four of the counts.

At Worcester Crown Court on 12 August 2019, Judge Nicolas Cartwright accepted the guilty pleas as a resolution to the case, sparing the victims from having to give evidence. The remaining charges were ordered to lie on file. Prosecutor Timothy Sapwell outlined the details of the offences, which spanned from 5 July 1979 to 4 July 1984. The victims, whose identities are protected by law, provided personal statements in court detailing the profound and lasting psychological impact of Friend's actions on their lives.

Judge Cartwright emphasised the severity of the crimes, noting that under contemporary laws, the offences would be classified as rape of a child, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He remarked on Friend's lack of remorse after the initial offence, stating, 'There are inevitable, psychological consequences that follow from such offending. (After the first offence) you didn't regret what happened - you moved on to more serious offending.' The judge also highlighted that, given the young age of the victims, Friend remained a danger to young children.

Defence barrister Abigail Nixon argued for mitigation, pointing out that Friend had no previous convictions between the ages of 17 and 26, and crediting him for showing 'courage' in accepting his guilt at the last moment. She acknowledged that he was aware a custodial sentence was inevitable. Despite this, Judge Cartwright imposed the 12-year sentence based on the sentencing guidelines applicable at the time of the offences.

Upon his release, Friend will be subject to a three-year extended licence period and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for the remainder of his life. The case was reported by the Kidderminster Shuttle on 15 August 2019, based on proceedings at Worcester Crown Court.