July 2015

Paedophile jailed for 15 years after he raped a child under the age of 13

The 36-year-old denied 14 matters under the Sexual Offences Act but was convicted of all the charges after a trial in May.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the defendant, who has no previous convictions, committed the offences over a three-year period.

Despite the jury’s verdicts, Richard Walker, of Whitethorn Way, Newcastle, continues to deny responsibility for the offences.

Anis Ali, mitigating, conceded the offending must have had some psychological effect on the victim.

He added that Walker’s family are devastated by the jury’s verdicts but remain supportive of him.

Judge David Fletcher said Walker’s offending started with kissing and progressed to full sex with the complainant.

He told the defendant: “You express no sympathy or remorse.”

Walker will serve half the sentence in prison with the rest on licence. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life and was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further order.