Stefon Francis Winter

On the evening of 15 June 1980, Stefon Francis Winter, then in his late twenties, lured two young brothers away from playing football at Highbury Football Field in Warminster, Wiltshire, and assaulted them in the changing rooms. The attacks involved two counts of indecency and two counts of gross indecency, leaving a profound and lasting impact on the victims.

The incident was reported to police at the time, and clothing from one of the brothers was seized as evidence. However, without DNA technology available in 1980, the case went unsolved. It remained dormant for over three decades until 2016, when Wiltshire Police selected it for a cold case review. Forensic scientists re-examined the archived clothing items, and Winter's DNA was matched to traces found on the garment, leading to his arrest at his home in Goatacre, Calne.

Following extensive enquiries, Winter was charged with the original 1980 offences. The 70-year-old pleaded not guilty at court. On 10 September 2021, a jury convicted him on all four counts after a trial. He was sentenced to a total of three years' imprisonment, ensuring he no longer poses a risk to the public.

Detective Inspector Tom Straker from Central CID described the assault as 'a horrible, traumatic assault which understandably had a long-lasting impact on the two victims.' He noted the bravery of the brothers in reliving the events during the investigation and trial, emphasising that 'no unsolved case of this nature is completely closed and that we will continue to fight to get justice for victims.'

Detective Constable Chris McLoughlin, the lead officer, paid tribute to the victims' courage and the work of scientists and archivists. He called Winter 'a dangerous offender, who has escaped justice for more than 40 years,' and issued a warning: 'Let this be a warning to anyone else out there who has committed offences and has, so far, evaded the law.' This case marks the second recent Wiltshire cold case resolved through DNA advances, following Kenneth Wells' guilty plea for a similar 1980 assault in Collingbourne Ducis.

Source: Hello Rayo article published 14 September 2021, based on Wiltshire Police statements.