January 2018

Former soldier and deep sea diver jailed for child sex attacks

A 70-year-old former soldier has been jailed for fourteen and a half years for a series of sex attacks against a child.

Ian Joyner, of Kingsteignton, was found guilty of two attempted rapes and five indecent assaults at the end of a trial at Exeter Crown Court.

The offences date back decades and some were committed after Joyner had left the army and was working as a deep sea diver living near Exeter.

The judge sentencing him said that since committing the crimes Joyner had led a blameless and ‘remorse free’ life while his victim had suffered to overcome what he did to her.

Judge Erik Salomonsen said: “Your victim described her suffering throughout her life and for the past 25 years you appear to have lived a life free of remorse. The contrast between perpetrator and victim in this case cannot be seen more graphically.

The judge told Joyner he would have received a considerable discount if he had pleaded guilty.

“Instead you chose to lie your way out of the situation.”

Joyner was also found guilty of an unrelated offence of assault causing actual bodily harm against a woman.

The trial was told the former soldier was somebody with a bad temper and a heavy drinker at the time of the offences.

He had lived in different parts of the country, and had previously worked as a gamekeeper, before settling in Devon.

When the allegations about him emerged he told police he had no idea what they were talking about. He said he was not a violent man and had not sexually attacked anybody.

Judge Salomonsen said it was a difficult sentencing exercise and he would have to consider the totality of the offending.

“The overall sentence of the court will be fourteen and a half years. That is thirteen and a half years in prison and one on licence.”