Michael Hale, a 35-year-old former soldier from Barnton in Cheshire, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court for a series of serious sexual offences against young girls. The court heard that Hale, who was approximately 22 years old at the time, attempted to rape a nine-year-old girl in her own bed. On a separate occasion, he forced the same child to touch his exposed genitals and perform a sex act on him, instructing her not to tell anyone, which she obeyed for over a decade.
Additionally, six years prior to these incidents, when Hale was just 16, he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. During that assault, he incited her at least five times to touch his genitals with her foot while he touched hers with his hands. These offences only came to light more than a decade later when one of the victims disclosed the abuse during counselling sessions.
Following an investigation by Cheshire Police, Hale was charged with one count each of attempted rape, sexual assault, causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, and causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges at Chester Crown Court. However, on the morning of his trial on 17 November, he changed his pleas to guilty for the offences against the older victim. The trial proceeded, and on 21 November, a jury found him guilty of the remaining charges of attempted rape and causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
At sentencing on 8 January, Hale appeared via video link due to health reasons, as noted by His Honour Judge Simon Berkson. Prosecuting, James Coutts presented victim impact statements. The elder victim explained her delay in speaking out, stating she felt 'like she just didn’t matter' and 'her voice didn’t count', convincing herself she would be blamed. She added: 'Growing up so damaged, I feel my emotional foundation is now beyond repair, which has affected my ability to function properly in life.'
Defending, Gareth Roberts highlighted Hale's complex mental and physical health issues, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and epilepsy diagnosed during his brief army service. He described Hale's poor education and tragic family background, which led to him living away from home as a teenager. Roberts submitted that Hale was a minor for two offences and immature for the others, noting: 'He knows the custodial sentence he is about to receive will be substantial and while he still denies these offences, he is determined to get whatever rehabilitation he can from his time in prison.'
Judge Berkson remarked that the attempted rape was 'as close to the full offence of rape as it could possibly be.' Hale, who had no prior criminal record, was sentenced to eight years in prison with an extended one-year licence period, requiring him to serve two-thirds behind bars before parole eligibility. He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, banned from working with children, and prohibited from contacting the victims without further court order.