ADRIAN MASSAM'S SEXUAL OFFENCES CONVICTION APPEAL REJECTED IN LINCOLN

In October 2013, a conviction appeal by Adrian Massam, a farmer from Spalding, was dismissed by top judges in London. Massam, aged 41 and residing on Barlings Drove in Sutton St James, had been imprisoned for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. The court had previously found him guilty of eight counts of sexual assault against a child under 13, including actions such as kissing the victim, groping her breasts, touching her genitals, and putting her hand on his private parts. In October of the prior year, Lincoln Crown Court sentenced him to three-and-a-half years in prison, also imposing a sexual offences prevention order that prohibits unsupervised contact with children and placing him on the sex offenders register.

On the day of the appeal, three senior judges at London’s Court of Appeal dismissed Massam’s challenge, asserting he received a fair trial. Mr Justice Herinques confirmed the incidents, stating, "Massam had kissed his young victim, groped her breasts, touched her genitals and put her hand on his penis." The court noted that at the time of arrest, Massam claimed innocence but was convicted by a jury following a trial before Judge Mark Wall QC in August last year.

Massam had argued that Judge Wall erred by refusing to allow his trial lawyer to question the young victim about her previous interactions with members of the opposite sex. However, Mr Justice Herinques, alongside Lady Justice Hallett and Judge Martyn Zeidman QC, ruled, "Permission for cross-examination about these matters was refused, and rightly so. Accordingly, this application is refused."

In a related case from October 2012, Massam, then aged 39, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment after being convicted of sexually touching an underage girl. Despite denying eight charges of sexual assault, he was found guilty after a five-day trial held at Lincoln Crown Court in August. The court also ordered Massam to register as a sex offender for life and imposed a sexual offences prevention order that restricts him from unsupervised contact with children.

The court was told that the girl’s friends informed a teacher about Massam’s conduct. During sentencing, Recorder Mark Wall QC commended the girls for their bravery and sensible reporting, saying, "I am sure they prevented further abuse by you. You made sure her interest in you endured by sending her copious amounts of text messages. You moved forward in a series of steps. You began by kissing her passionately on the lips and touching her breasts." Massam maintained his innocence, though the evidence indicated ongoing inappropriate contact over four months. Prosecutor Cat Sjolin emphasized the significant age disparity and the prolonged nature of the offenses.

Defense lawyer Michael Proctor highlighted that there was no evidence of threats or coercion and described Massam as a man of good character who had recently spent weeks in custody. He expressed remorse for the convictions, which he called a source of great shame. Additionally, Mr Proctor noted that Massam’s wife supported him but had chosen not to attend court during the trial at his request.