ANDREW GARBUTT SENTENCED IN LIVERSEDGE FOR RAPE AND INDECENT ASSAULT IN LEEDS

In a case that has shocked the local community, Andrew Garbutt, a young man from Liversedge, was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison following his conviction for serious sexual offenses committed in Leeds. The court heard harrowing details of the assault that took place in the early hours of February 5, 2002, involving an 18-year-old student and Garbutt's then 13-year-old girlfriend.

According to court records, the incident occurred after the victim was leaving a nightclub in Leeds. Garbutt, who was 17 at the time, helped her after she fell down some steps outside the venue. Demonstrating a disturbing turn of events, Garbutt then persuaded her to get into a taxi, which he directed to Weetwood Lane. Once there, he led her down a muddy path where he committed a brutal assault, knocking her unconscious with a stone before raping her. The victim's identity remains protected for legal reasons.

Following the attack, Garbutt and his family relocated from Leeds to Liversedge. Subsequently, Garbutt entered into a relationship with a 13-year-old girl, which further compounded the case's severity. During the trial, prosecutor Richard Mansell QC detailed how Garbutt continued to commit indecent assaults while on bail for the initial rape charge.

Garbutt was found guilty of the rape after a trial and later pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault. His defense, represented by Fiona Dix-Dyer, argued that Garbutt maintained the assault was consensual, citing diaries kept by the young girl that purportedly showed her consent and awareness of Garbutt’s age and legal status. The defense also highlighted that Garbutt had informed his own parents about his relationship with the girl, and that his mother had assisted in transporting her and buying Christmas presents for her.

Judge Roger Scott, presiding over the case at Leeds Crown Court, delivered a stern sentence, emphasizing the profound impact the assault had on the victim. He revealed that on the very day Garbutt was arrested following a DNA match, the victim attempted to take her own life. The judge praised her extraordinary courage in giving evidence during the trial, describing her as “magnificent” in the witness box. Addressing Garbutt directly, Judge Scott remarked, “You, I hope, will remember to your dying day that girl, not on the muddy footpath in north Leeds but in court. She was magnificent in the witness box. There is no other word for it.”

Contrasting sharply with the victim’s bravery, the judge described Garbutt’s attitude during the proceedings as “ice cold and creepy,” expressing concern over the high risk of re-offending. He stated that if Garbutt had been an adult at the time of the offenses, he would have faced a more severe sentence.

Garbutt was sentenced to eight years for the rape, with an additional 18 months to run concurrently for the indecent assaults. Upon release, he will serve a four-year license period and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Furthermore, the court banned him from ever working with children, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the potential danger he poses to society.