ALEXANDER BENFIELD JAILED IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE FOR ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF NINE-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In November 2017, Alexander Benfield, a 25-year-old man from Cirencester, was sentenced to seven years in prison after attempting to kidnap a nine-year-old girl in a Gloucestershire village.

Benfield, a groom employed at a local stables where he taught children to ride, committed the offence during his lunch break. He targeted the girl as she was walking home from a shop in a Cotswold village, accompanied by two other children.

The incident occurred on a Saturday afternoon in July. Benfield approached the girl from behind, attempting to lift her, but when she screamed, he released her, causing grazes to her knees, before fleeing the scene.

The three children then informed their mother about the terrifying encounter. Police responded promptly and identified Benfield through CCTV footage. Following his arrest, officers discovered two short videos on his mobile phone—one showing a young blonde girl passing in front of his car, and another depicting a child swinging at a play park.

Benfield initially denied the charges of attempted kidnapping and actual bodily harm. However, a jury at Swindon Crown Court found him guilty. The court heard that he was attracted to "very young girls."

In a related case from October 2017, Benfield was also convicted of attempting to kidnap another young girl and causing her physical injury. During that incident in Ashton Keynes, he was seen on CCTV pulling up near the local shop where the girl was with two friends. He then grabbed her by her shoulder and bottom, lifting her off the ground. As she struggled and screamed, he dropped her, leaving her with grazes, and then drove away.

After the attack, he immediately went to buy a new shirt from a clothing store to hide his attire, which was distinctive. When questioned by police the next day, Benfield gave false information about his whereabouts and what he had been wearing. Nevertheless, officers recovered footage from both the shop and the stable yard, confirming what he had been wearing.

Judge Tim Mousley QC ordered that Benfield's case be adjourned until November 6, when he would be remanded in custody. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offences, stating, “You have been convicted of a very serious offence by a jury. Inevitably the sentence will be one of imprisonment.”