Man jailed over sex crime against 'vulnerable' woman

Clive Lawton Pritchard also carried out a further sex act on his victim as she stood in her kitchen making him a cup of tea.

Pritchard, 53, was told his crime was "severe" and that his victim was "extremely vulnerable" by Judge Niclas Parry.

In addition to the jail sentence, Pritchard was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Pritchard, of The Old Bowling Green, Churchstoke, admitted a charge of sexual activity with a woman with a mental disorder and causing a person to engage in sexual activity.

Sitting at Mold Crown Court yesterday (FRI), Judge Parry said: "The sentence for this crime is severe because the guidelines are meant to protect the most vulnerable members of society.

"Such offending inevitably caused trauma to someone already vulnerable.

"Your victim was extremely vulnerable. Her low cognitive skills and the highly unusual way she presented would have been obvious to him immediately.

"You recognised her as someone who would talk and laugh to herself. Her vulnerability is as obvious as it could be.

"Despite that, when the opportunity presented itself, you took advantage of her, for no reason other than your own sexual gratification.

"The consequences for her have been described as catastrophic. She lives in fear. The balance of her life has been disturbed."

Judge Parry told Pritchard that by admitting the offence he had saved the victim the further trauma of giving evidence and he was effectively a man of good character and he was truly remorseful.

"I accept that it was an utter aberration on your part," Judge Parry told him.

It was not premeditated but an impulsive act when presented with the opportunity. The incident was also short lived.

Judge Parry made a five year SOPO (Sexual Offences Prevention Order) under which he is not to approach or communicate with the victim in any way and he is not to go within 100 metres of her home.

Mr Andrew Green, prosecuting, said special mention should be made of DC Rebecca Caswell who had the task of interviewing the victim and co-ordinating the multi agency investigation that took place.

The victim was naive and trusting with various mental health difficulties and carers raised concern when she asked them about getting pregnant, Mr Green said.

Interviewed, she told how the defendant told her to take her clothes off and he had sex with her. He also sexually assaulted her later. She was scared, said it hurt and told him to stop.

She had to undergo a medical examination and it was feared that the defendant had suffered from both the offences themselves and the aftermath.

Mr Mark Connor, for Pritchard, said the sentencing guidelines for such offences were higher than for rape.

"He took advantage of the situation on the spur of the moment," he said.

In a letter to the judge he had expressed his genuine heart-felt remorse and shame. He wished to apologise to her and to everyone else affected by his behaviour.

His own family had fallen apart because of his behaviour. He had no pattern of offending and no relevant convictions.