October 2009

Paedophile’s sentence reduced

A serial paedophile who accosted two terrified girls cycling to school in Lincoln had his potentially lifelong sentence overturned by top judges.

Stephen Robert Trimble, whose first child sex conviction dates back 30 years, received an indefinite sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) at Lincoln Crown Court in April this year.

The open-ended sentence, almost identical to a life term, came after he admitted engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to persuade a child to engage in sexual activity.

Lord Justice Moses, sitting with Mr Justice Openshaw and Judge Peter Rook QC in London’s Appeal Court, said that however frightening his most recent offences may have been, they did not “merit” an open-ended jail term, before substituting a conventional two-year jail term.

Trimble will have to serve half of his new sentence before qualifying for automatic release.

From a ealier sentencing –

Lois Colley, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that Trimble pulled up alongside a 10-year-old girl as she walked along Boultham Park Road.

Trimble (46), of Spencer Street, Lincoln, grabbed the handlebars of her bike and then asked her lewd questions about her underwear.

But he was interrupted by the child’s mother who was following her daughter by car to ensure she arrived safely at school.

Shortly afterwards, Trimble drove up alongside an eight year old in Hykeham Road and tried to engage her in a similar conversation.

Trimble was traced through his works van.

He was already on bail following a series of telephone calls made three months earlier to the home of an eight year old girl.

The court heard that he had convictions for sex offences stretching back to 1976 and had been repeatedly jailed.

Judge Michael Heath told him: “You are, in my judgement, plainly a dangerous offender.

“You admit you are sexually attracted to children and you describe yourself as a paedophile.”